The Arising
by Firestorm
Summary: It's been a week after Rowen had found his mother. Now the Ronins are dealing with a new enemy. Can they defeat this enemy? And will Rowen's past come back to haunt him? Sequel to End of Pain.
1. Chapter 1

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Disclaimer: I don't own the Ronins, and I don't own Star. Star belongs to Crystal Star Guardian. I do own Firestorm though, and any other character you don't recognize.

The Arising. Sequel to End of Pain. 

Chapter 1.

Rowen stretched and yawned, throwing the covers off him, his muscles flexed (all you Rowen fans can stop drooling now) and he ran a hand through his disheveled blue haired. He looked at the clock. It was after 11 in the morning. A smile came to his face. It had been a week since he had found his mother. For years he had endured fierce abuse from his alcoholic father, and then one night his house had caught fire. His father had been so drunk he had passed out while holding a lit cigarette in his hand. If not for the other Ronins coming just in the nick of time, Rowen would have died too. The only one that had died was Rowen's father. For a time, Rowen had stayed in the hospital, recovering, while the others worried about what would happened to him. Then a miracle had struck, his mother, who had been missing for years, had been finally found. And now Rowen lived with her in a beautiful apartment in Tokyo, Japan. It wasn't too far from Mia's manor.

He climbed out of bed, wearing nothing but his boxers.. (you Rowen fans are drooling now aren't you?) He got out his clothes, a pair of light blue jeans and a black t-shirt, and a few other things, and dressed. After dressing, he brushed his hair and put his headband on. He went to the bathroom, and then came out, and headed out of his room. 

The apartment was beautifully designed, with thick grey carpeting lining the two bedrooms, the small hallway, and the living room. The walls were made of cedar wood, and the kitchen floor was linoleum made, a texture that looked like a black and white checkered board. The walls were made of wallpaper material and were mostly fruit baskets over a white coloring. It was this room that Rowen went in to. 

He immediately saw the note on the table. 'Rowen, I went to work, I'll be home by 5 p.m. There's food in the fridge, all you have to do is heat it up in the microwave. Here's the number to my work and to my cell phone in case you have an emergency. Work: 312-797-5031 Cell: 312-509-1213. Love you, see you soon.' 

Rowen smiled. His mother was so caring. At night she tortured him with her tickling and even studied with him. They would play baseball in the park nearby, and sometimes try to outdo each other on the housecleaning. It was great to have such a wonderful mother.

He went to the fridge and sure enough there was the food she had set out for him so carefully. He took the plastic off the tray and stuck it in the microwave. He set the microwave on high for three minutes, then went to get himself some juice. When his food was done, he carried it to the table and set it down, then sat down, and turned on the little TV that sat on the counter a foot away from the table, and he watched TV while he ate his pancakes.

At the Koji residence, Mia sat busily typing away at her computer. She had been looking for information about the two new Ronins, and so far they hadn't found them. She wasn't giving up though. She knew her grandfather had ways of encoding certain messages into the computer so no one else that wasn't suppose to would not gain access to such valuable information. 

Near by on the couch, Ryo sat eating a bowl of cereal, Rice Crispies to be exact. His eyes were glued to the television, watching Jackie Chan Adventures. White Blaze laid near his feet, half asleep it seemed. Cye and Kento had gone out for a morning swim, and the two girls who had been staying with them off and on, Firestorm and Star had gone with them. Sage was gone too, most likely at his meditation spot in the woods. So it was just her and Ryo, and the tiger.

Mia sighed and rubbed her temples. This was getting frustrating, she decided. The information had to be somewhere in this database, but where exactly? She typed in something else and hit the enter button. Access denied. She tried something else. Access denied. She typed her fingers irritably against her desk, glaring daggers at the screen. She took a deep breath and counted to a hundred to keep herself from blowing up at the computer. Then she typed in Twirling with a burst of fire, followed by, Gleaming with power in the night time sky, and hit enter, and held her breath for what seemed like an eternity. Access granted! Mia let out a whoop.

Ryo glanced behind him, stretching his neck and looking toward her. "Hey, Mia, find something?" he asked.

"I sure did!" she replied enthusiastically. "I finally found the hidden files my grandfather encoded into this computer about the new Ronins."

"That's great!" Ryo exclaimed.

"Yeah, now if I can just figure out this password that suddenly popped up," Mia said, staring at the computer screen.

Ryo got off the couch and went to the computer room, carrying his bowl of cereal. He stood behind her, munching away on spoonfuls, and watched as she tried every password she could think of. Nothing matched. Finally she tried something else. Fire and Stars. Access was granted again. 

"Finally!" Mia muttered as the page loaded. And then they saw the information. 

When times of darkness shall rise, two will arise, clothed with honor and compassion.

Mia blinked at the screen. "That's it? That's the message? Where's the rest?!"

Ryo blinked. "Maybe that is just it. Short message though."

"This is not helping us!" Mia exclaimed.

Ryo sweatdropped. "Mia, calm down, okay? Maybe your grandfather thought it would be enough for you to figure it out."

Mia sighed irritably. "I guess."

"I'm sure we'll find the two new Ronins," Ryo said. 

"Yeah, when the evil shows again," Mia muttered as she exited the database.

Ryo didn't respond. He was thinking. Why were the two passwords, Fire and Star, the same as Firestorm's nickname, and Star's name? 

Sage opened his eyes and glanced around his surroundings. Immediately a frown came to his face. It felt more darker and more cold. He shivered and looked toward the sky. All the birds were flying off somewhere, squawking loudly. He frowned and stood up from his spot on the boulder. He jumped off it, looking around. The wind picked up considerably, blowing his clothes. 

He thought he heard a whisper just then, but it was so low, he began to think it was the wind itself. But, wait, no.. The wind had its own voice. This was something else. He reached for his armor orb in his pants pocket, ready to transform into his subarmor. Too late! He suddenly flew back against a tree. He felt stunned, his eyes were widened, pain shot up through his spine, and he let out a several gasps in shock.

He shook his head, trying to make sense of what had just happened. He looked around, waiting to see his opponent. It was all quiet, the wind had quieted down, and it was like it had been when he had first came here.

He struggled to his feet, wincing. Whatever had attacked him was strong and quick. He had to get home and tell the others. He took his orb out and quickly transformed into his subarmor, not taking any chances as he ran for the house. 

Several thoughts came to his mind as he ran through the forest. What had attacked him? Did they have a new enemy? Who was their new enemy? What powers did they have? Did the new enemy have an armor? Was it after their armors? Was it after Ryo's White Inferno? He didn't know the answer to these questions, but he did know they would have to fight again. 

He came out of the forest, and ran down the long winding road, ignoring the few vehicles that passed by him. Some drivers and passengers gave him weird glances as they drove by. One honked his horn at him. Sage barely glanced at the driver. He continued to run and run. When he came to the end of the road, he crossed over, going down a small embankment, and running across a small dirt road, heading for home. He had to get there and soon, worrying if the same force that had attacked him, was also attacking the others. 

The house was getting closer and closer. He hoped Mia and Ryo were still there. They would have to tell Rowen, Kento, and Cye about this as well. He ran through the main gate of the driveway, and ran down the long wide drive way. He threw the door open and ran inside the house.

"Ryo! Mia!" he shouted.

Both Mia and Ryo jumped. They raced out of the computer room and ran to Sage. Something had happened, they knew. But what?

"Sage! What's wrong?" Ryo asked.

"We've got a new enemy!" the Ronin of Halo exclaimed. "Something attacked me in the woods, not long ago."

"Did you see what it was?" Mia asked. "Or who?"

Sage shook his head. "No. Whoever it was, they were quick. They slammed me against the tree and disappeared."

Ryo frowned deeply. Was this what the poem was talking about? The new evil? Did that mean the new Ronins would soon appear, and help fight against the new enemy? 

"Are you all right, Sage?" Mia asked with concern.

"I'm fine, Mia," he said. "We need to tell the others."

Ryo nodded. "Okay, call Rowen at his house. "I'm going to go find Cye and Kento. I'll be back soon."

Sage nodded and Mia headed for the phones. Ryo put his shoes on and White Blaze stood up and joined his side. "Ryo," Sage said after a bit. "Be careful."

Ryo nodded and made sure he had his orb. "I will, Sage. I'll be back with Kento and Cye in a flash." He opened the door and ran out, his tiger following beside him. Sage watched him for several moments before he shut the door. Beads of sweat poured down his face and he sat down on the couch to rest. 

Mia was speaking to Rowen as of now, telling him what had happened. Rowen promised to be over right away, and when the conversation was over, she hung up and returned to the living room. "Rowen's coming," she said as she sat on the armchair.

Sage nodded and rubbed his face. "I always thought we were done fighting, and even if we had to fight again, it would be Talpa or one of his old henchmen. But the Warlords are good now, and Talpa's destroyed. I don't know what it could be." A frown came to his face.

"Well, whatever it is, Sage, we'll know about it, and the Ronins will defeat it," Mia told him.

Sage nodded. "I know, Mia. I know." He could only hope that she was right. 


	2. Chapter 2

**The Arising**

**Chapter 2. **

Rowen came to the house about twenty minutes after Mia had called him. He was frowning deeply, trying to think of any possible solution to their dilemma. So far there wasn't a solution that he could think of. He wondered why he or the other Ronins hadn't felt Sage being attacked. It didn't make any sense. And why had it happened? Talpa was destroyed, there hadn't been any new enemies trying to take over the world. So what did this new enemy want? And just who was their new enemy?

He had no answer to that question. He made it to Mia's house and went inside. He saw Sage resting on the couch with his head down, and Mia sitting across from him. It was silent, and Ryo, Cye, and Kento, nor the two girls were anywhere to be seen. He figured they hadn't made it there yet.

Mia was the first to notice him. "Rowen."

Sage looked up at Rowen. He didn't smile nor greet him happily. "Rowen, glad you could make it."

"Sage, are you all right?" Rowen asked in concern as he sat beside his best friend.

"I'm fine, just shaken up a bit," Sage admitted.

"Did you see what or who attacked you?" Rowen asked.

Sage shook his head. "No. Whatever it was, was quick. And I have a feeling it'll be back."

Rowen frowned deeply. This was just great, he thought. What could they do against an enemy they couldn't even see?

For a while no one said anything. Mia decided to make some hot tea and went into the kitchen, leaving the two Ronins by themselves in the living room. Neither one said anything. Both of them had several thoughts of concern, fear, and anticipation of what may be coming their way. They knew it was only a matter of time before they would once again call upon their armors and have to fight again. But just what were they fighting for?

Unbeknownst to them, a shrouded dark figure watched them through the window. It really had no form at all, though it appeared to be a human, but not quite human, and definitely not animal. Its red and yellow eyes studied the two boys with such intensity it was amazing how they did not feel it. Its eyes shifted toward Rowen and it let out a cruel smile, and then suddenly it vanished without a trace.

Mia returned about ten minutes later, carrying a tray with three mugs of fresh hot tea on it. She handed Rowen and Sage each a cup, then set the tray on the coffee table and sat down before she took her own cup.

"Thank you, Mia," Sage said.

"Yeah, thanks," Rowen echoed.

"You're welcome, guys," Mia replied.

All was silence again. They all wanted to talk, but no one had anything to say at the moment. So they remained quiet, sipping their tea, and waiting for the others to arrive.

Ryo had finally made it to the beach where Cye, Kento, Firestorm, and Star had gone this morning. There were some people out today, picnicking, swimming, or just trying to catch a sun tan, or chasing their toddler who decided it was the perfect time to get away from daddy and mommy. He shook his thick black hair out of his eyes and hurried through the crowd. White Blaze had hidden himself carefully in the forest behind the beach, and watched as his young charge searched for his friends.

Ryo made it to the water's edge and held his hand above his eyes to shield off the sunlight that blocked his view. He peered closely at the swimmers, searching each face. If he knew better, then Cye was swimming out as far as he could go out, and probably managed to get the others to join him in the deep end as well.

He finally spotted them.. Cye was surfing, and Kento, Star, and Firestorm were all relaxing in the water..

He immediately ran out into the water, ignoring the sudden coldness that overwhelmed him. When he got to the knee deep part, he cupped his mouth and shouted for them. At first they didn't hear him, but after two more shouts, they finally heard him.

"Hey, isn't that Ryo?" Firestorm asked.

"Yeah, what's he doing out here?" Kento asked.

"Let's go see," Cye said as he began to paddle his way toward Ryo. The others followed and soon they were where Ryo was.

"Hey, Ryo, what's up?" Cye asked.

"You guys have to come home now," Ryo said as he turned and headed out of the water. They followed him, confusion on their faces.

"What? Why?" Kento asked.

"What's going on?" Star wanted to know.

"I'll explain when we leave this area. There's too many people here," Ryo told them.

All of them left the beach area and headed back for manor. White Blaze had joined them, and it was only when there was no other human activity did Ryo tell them what was going on. All of them were shocked, and angry that Sage had been attacked, and like the other Ronins, not one of them could guess who or what the attacker was.

When they finally reached the manor, they saw Mia, Rowen, and Sage just finishing up their tea. "Good, Rowen made it here."

Rowen nodded. "I've been here for about twenty minutes. Sage and Mia told me everything."

Ryo nodded, his brows furrowed in deep thought.

"Question," Firestorm said. "Do you think whatever attacked Sage will attack again?"

"I wouldn't doubt it," Sage said.

"Which is why we all need to be on guard," Ryo said. "This new enemy of ours is not to be taken lightly. We don't know what it can do, or where it even came from."

"It would help if we could at least see what it looked like," Kento grumbled.

"Which is why we need to find out," Rowen said.

"I've already searched through grandfather's files on it," Mia spoke up. "He didn't have much on it except that two new Ronins would be helping us defeat it."

"So who are the two new Ronins?" Star asked.

"We don't know," Mia answered. "The files didn't say anything else. Which is strange in a way."

"Why do you say that?" Rowen asked.

"Because grandfather always puts down the enemy and the names of the Ronin armors. This time he didn't."

"Mia," Cye said, "maybe your grandfather wanted you to figure this one out on your own this time?"

Mia thought about it, and nodded after a few minutes. "That's possible, Cye. Grandfather always did have a way of doing things unexpectedly."

"So, now what do we do?" Kento asked as he crossed his arms. He wasn't the type that enjoyed waiting around for something to happen.

"Our best bet is to wait for now," Ryo said as he closed his eyes and then reopened them.

"Man," Kento sighed heavily.

"Kento, chill out," Sage said. "We all know you don't like to be patient, but you have no choice now. None of us do. There's not much we can do. All we can do is stay on guard and be prepared for when we're attacked again."

Kento grumbled a bit, but nodded.

Later that night as Rowen slept in bed, and his mother sat up in her room going over her journal notes, a black smoky mist entered through the crack under Rowen's door. It paused, looking toward the lump filled bed, and a cruel smile stretched across it. It floated over to the boy and then suddenly it wrapped itself around his throat, choking him.

Rowen awoke with a start and struggled as violently as he could. His lungs burned to be relieved and he was certain his face was turning red. The strange mist only tightened more and more around his neck, cutting into his skin it seemed, watching cruelly as it suffocated his victim.

Rowen's heart pounded in his chest, he tried to call out for help, but it didn't seem to do any good. He could barely concentrate on anything, but being able to breathe again. And then his eyes started to close, he began to feel extremely lightheaded and dizzy. Was this the end?

Rowen was beginning to go limp and his breathing had lessened even more, he could barely make sense of anything anymore, and he could hardly hear the laughter of the cruel voice taunting his ears, and he was unaware of his own kanji flaring to life on his forehead as he slipped into oblivion.

But the shadowy figure did. It screamed a bloodcurdling scream and shielded its eyes, backing away from the unconscious boy. It glared at Rowen, and then vanished from the room, hissing as it did so.

Rowen's kanji flickered for a few minutes before it faded away. Air began to get inside his lungs once again, causing a painful reaction in his diaphragm. His eyes slowly opened, and he took in another breath, wincing as he did so.

After getting his air back, he slowly sat up. He had to contact the others. What ever attacked him would probably come back. Somehow he didn't feel safe anymore. He got up and dressed as quickly as he could. He made sure he had his orb, and then left his bedroom, and walked down the hall, making his way to the kitchen. The time on the microwave told him it was after midnight. His mother was asleep in her room and he didn't wish to wake her. Nor did he wish to worry her. He wrote a note to her, telling her where he was going, then slipped on his shoes and his jacket and left through the apartment.

It was raining outsize, a slight drizzle. He was glad his jacket had a hood on it. He put it over his head, and jogged down the street, hoping he could make it to Mia's soon before it really poured.

He crossed several streets, passing through the city. Here the nightly raid was out, which consisted of hookers and gangs. Rowen sighed heavily. He just had to come this way didn't he? Yet, he had little choice. It was the quickest way to Mia's house. He passed a couple of prostitutes who purred at him, asking if he was looking for a good time. He ignored them and continued to run on by. He rounded a corner and came face to face with a group of five large punks, all who were at least two feet taller than he was. Their hair was spiked up, and differently colored, they wore chains around their neck, and carried sharp daggers. Their appearance was menacing.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," said the first one. His orange hair was spiked up, going in different directions, a large earring was attached to his left eyebrow, he wore a dark leather jacket, which Rowen guessed was probably stolen.

"I don't want any trouble," Rowen said, getting into a defensive mode. He had handled the Dynasty, he could handle these punks.

"Well, that's too bad," said another one, dressed much like the first, except his hair was green, and he wore a ring in his nose. "Because we're looking for trouble, and you've run into the wrong place at the right time."

They suddenly attacked him. Rowen backed flipped out of the way, and summoned his subarmor. This surprised them, however they did not back down. "Get the freak!" They attacked him as one force.

Rowen smirked and ducked down from one blow, kicking into one of the punk's, the one with the purple hair, sending him doubling over. He then flipped the first punk over his shoulder, and did his famous flying kick, causing the orange haired punk to groan in pain.

One of them took out their dagger and slashed it across Rowen's arms. His eyes widen when he saw the material glow for an instant, and then faded, leaving the material to become as if it had never been touched by the weapon. "What the!"

"Naughty, naughty," Rowen said, and then did a roundhouse kick to him. The punk went flying backward into a set of trash cans.

After a few minutes, Rowen stood looking around at his handy work. All five were on the ground, groaning in pain. "I warned you I didn't want any trouble," he said, and then headed off down the street.

The rain was starting to pour a little more heavier now, and he jogged through it. He was glad his subarmor was keeping him warm and for the most part dry. Though he could still catch a cold in this weather. He had to get to Mia's as soon as he could.

Wait, what was that? He peered a head of him, squinting his eyes. Something was coming toward him at a rapid speed. He prepared himself for the defensive. It got closer and closer, and then just as it was about five feet away from him, he sighed in relief. "White Blaze."

The large white tiger came to a stop at his side, and then turned around, while facing him. Rowen understood. He quickly climbed onto the tiger's back and held on. "Okay, White Blaze, let's go."

The tiger leapt forward, and ran down the street, heading back to Mia's.

Rowen sighed in relief. This sure beat walking or running.

A mysterious figure sat upon a dark throne made up with tormented souls in a vast and cold place. It could not be seen, except for its red eyes and the white slits within them. They glowed with a new meaning, and the shadowy figure kneeling before it, trembled.

"I grow tired of waiting for you to complete your mission for me, Yata," it said.

"I apologize, my liege," the figure trembled. "I came close to killing the boy!"

Silence reigned in the room for a few minutes, and Yata believed that he would not be punished. Then suddenly a terrifying bolt of electricity struck him, sending him crashing to the floor and curling up. His leathery hide shown in the lighting of the attack, his gnarled face scrunched up with pain. He let out a cry of pain, smoke coming out between his jaws as he did so.

"I am tired of waiting!" the figure roared from the throne. "I want him dead! His soul is to be mine, and mine alone." A pale hand suddenly grabbed Yata from the floor and brought him to his face. "Do you understand that, Yata!"

Yata trembled, unable to look his master in the eye. "Yes.. yes, sire."

He was dropped rudely on the floor. "I will give you one last chance. Go and destroy the boy, and his friends. I want nothing to stop you. Should you fail, and I will seal you back in that pathetic domain from whence you came."

Yata gulped and was quick to bow. "Yes, master."

"Now be gone!"

Yata bowed once again, and then vanished, leaving the mysterious figure alone to plan.

Rowen had made it to Mia's now, and he was wrapped up in a blanket, sitting on the couch. Star had made him a hot cup of tea, and now they were all surrounding him, having heard his recount of the attack earlier.

"Sounds like this being is getting desperate," Sage said with a frown.

"We can't let this being scare us off," Ryo said, clenching his fists. "As Ronin Warriors, we will work together as a team and defeat it!"

"It would help if you knew what it was though," Firestorm said as she crossed her arms.

"How the heck are we going to find out, when we can't even see it?" Kento demanded.

"How should I know?" Firestorm shrugged. "I'm not a genius."

Rowen sipped his drink and lowered the cup to the coffee table. "I may have an idea?"

"Rowen?" Mia said softly as she stared at him.

"What is it, Rowen?" Cye asked.

"Obviously this is a creature of darkness of some sort," Rowen continued. "Why is that we can never see it? Sage, is not dark in the woods?"

Sage nodded. "Yes, when the sun is not hitting through the trees directly."

"And I was attacked at night," Rowen continued.

"So you're saying that, this creature gains its powers from the darkness?" Star asked.

Rowen nodded. "Yes, and I think I have a plan to draw it out."

"Then enlighten us, Rowen," Ryo said.

Rowen nodded and brought them all close to them. He whispered his plan to them as carefully as he could. Everyone knew what they had to do. They separated, and then allowed themselves to relax. They weren't expecting the creature to come back so soon, and it would give them time to prepare.

Sage and Ryo headed off one way to prepare for their part. Star and Kento headed off another way to get their part ready, Cye and Mia headed off another way to work on theirs, and Mia and Rowen stayed in the living room, with White Blaze laying innocuously before the fireplace. Once everything was in order and prepared for, they stayed in their spots. Now all they had to do was wait. And Rowen prayed it would be enough.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Arising **

**Chapter 3.**

Everyone was in position now, holding their breaths. Not a muscle twitched. Each of them kept on guard for wherever the attacker may come.. though they knew one or more of them would get hurt in this.

All was silent and still now, they could only hear their breath. Then suddenly Sage's eyes narrowed. He thought he could sense something. He looked at Ryo and nodded his head, and Ryo gave him a look. Both prepared themselves and waited…and waited…and waited. Nothing happened.

False alarm, Sage thought to himself as he lowered his defenses slightly.

Ryo kept on watching though. There was no telling when the attacker would come. They had to be prepared and ready to carry out Rowen's plan to the full extent.

Kento was getting a little impatient however. He wasn't used to just waiting around for very long if he could help it. He wanted action and he wanted it soon. Yet, he forced himself to stay put.

And then suddenly something struck Rowen. He struggled and gagged, but the figure trying to suffocate him was not merciful. It had knocked him to the floor and held him there, one hand wrapped around his throat, the other, plugging his nose and covering his mouth. The Strata warrior struggled and kicked, but it had no effect on his attacker. Then to Rowen's shock, an extra pair of arms suddenly appeared out of his attacker and pinned his arms and legs down. He soon discovered each hand was large enough to cover two of his arms. He wasn't able to struggle for very long, and even though he couldn't see his attacker, he could still sense he was there.

Ryo's kanji flashed brightly on his head, followed by Kento's, Sage's, and Cye's. What they didn't know was that two kanjis had suddenly appeared in Star's and Firestorm's foreheads.

Firestorm had the kanji of honor burning in her forehead, and Star had the kanji of hope burning within her forehead. However no one seemed to notice this, not even the two girls, who only felt their foreheads were pulsating and thought it was just a muscle spasm.

However the Ronins were more trained, and knew what that 'muscle spasm' meant. Immediately, Sage and Ryo flipped on the light on the upstairs hallway they were on, Kento flipped on the light in the hallway, where he and Star stood, Cye flipped the light on in the kitchen where he and Mia were at, and Firestorm flipped the light on where she stood in the living room.

Immediately, the creature that had been attacking Rowen let go of him and shrank away into a corner, shielding its eyes, and hissing madly.

"Dang," Kento said as he covered his ears. "Sounds like a dead cat hissing!"

"What is that thing?" Mia asked.

"Whatever it is, it'll pay for harming Rowen!" Ryo growled as he drew his orb. Rowen had fallen unconscious and at the moment, Firestorm was now giving him CPR. Ryo summoned his subarmor, followed by Kento, then Sage, then Cye. Ryo and Sage jumped over the balcony, Kento and Star rushed in from the living room, and Cye and Mia came from the kitchen. The four Ronins surrounded the creature, while Mia and Star helped Firestorm to get Rowen breathing again.

"Who are you!" Ryo demanded of the creature.

"None of your business!" the creature hissed.

"Oh yeah?" Kento challenged. He immediately grabbed a high voltage flashlight. Sage and Cye, seeing his idea, grabbed the creature and forced his head to turn as Kento shone the light on him. The creature hissed and struggled to turn its head to hide its eyes. But Cye and Sage wouldn't let him do it so easily. The creature then tried to lash out with a long muscular arm, but Ryo caught it and held it firm, and the creature scratching at him with the other arm, had no effect on him, so he tried to use his legs to kick the Ronin leader, but then White Blaze came over quickly and actually laid on his legs, preventing him from using them the way he wanted to.

"You gonna talk?" Ryo demanded again.

The creature continued to struggle violently.

"You know, we could do this all day," Kento said.

The creature glared at him.

"Or we could just have Sage transform into his full armor and he can fill you up with hot light," Ryo spat.

The creature quickly looked at Sage. Immediately he knew that Sage was full of light, and if he did summon his armor…. He stopped struggling. "Fine," he growled low in his breath. "I'll talk."

"Now who are you?" Ryo asked again.

"Yata."

"Who sent you?"

"Someone!"

"Who's that someone?" Cye asked.

The creature rolled his eyes. "I don't know his name. And he refused to tell me. Though I call him many things."

"Such as?" Sage asked.

"Master, my lord, my liege, take your pick," the creature sneered.

"Why were you attacking Rowen?" Kento demanded.

"I was ordered to," the creature said.

"For what reason?" Ryo asked.

"Because my master wants his soul!"

They heard coughing just then. The CPR that had been given to Rowen had finally helped him to come around. He was breathing again. His kanji was glowing weakly, but he would be all right in a little while. The young woman, and the two teenaged girls stayed with him.

"And it looks like I failed again," the creature growled. "Master will be furious with me!"

"Isn't that too bad?" Sage said sarcastically. He wasn't too happy. In fact he was quite angry and it was never good to make Sage that way. He was about to summon his full armor, but the creature suddenly sent out waves of dark energy which threw the Warrior of Light off him.

"Sage!" Ryo cried out. Another wave of energy which felt like water struck him and threw him across the room, a wave of what felt like fire struck Cye and threw him across the room.

Kento growled low and held the flashlight steady, the light shining in the creature's eyes. "You'll pay for that!"

White Blaze growled in agreement as he raised a giant paw to claw the creature.

The creature only stuck his tongue out, and another dark energy wave struck the tiger, sending him flying back.

The creature hissed again at Kento, keeping his eyes covered. "You should have never stopped Yata from filling his master's command." Then suddenly he vanished from the room, leaving Kento standing there in the corner.

Ryo struggled to his feet, followed by the other three. "Damnit," he said as he rubbed his head.

"I can't believe he got away!" Sage said angrily.

"Don't blame me!" Kento protested.

"No one's blaming you, Kento," Cye told him gently.

"Sage, Rowen needs some help!" Mia cried out suddenly.

Sage turned and hurried over by Rowen who was still laying on the floor. Though he was breathing, he was still unconscious, and there was a good chance he could stop breathing again. He summoned his armor and knelt down by his friend, and placed his hands on him. He concentrated on sending his healing power into his friend. There was a moment of silence as everyone waited, then finally Rowen's eyes fluttered open, letting everyone breathe more easier.

"Sage," Rowen said weakly.

"Welcome back, Rowen," Sage said with a small smile.

Rowen smiled back slightly, then closed his eyes again and became still.

"ROWEN!" Star cried out.

"Relax," Ryo said. "He just fell asleep."

"Oh." Star let out a huge sigh of relief as she watched Sage disarmor, then pick Rowen up. The Ronin of Halo carried his friend upstairs and into their room to let Rowen get some much needed rest.

"Are you guys okay?" Firestorm asked the other Ronins.

"Just a bit sore," Cye said. "But we'll heal."

Firestorm nodded, but bit her lip as she kept quiet. She rubbed her forehead wondering about the strange impulse sensation she had felt earlier. It was no longer there, but still she could remember it. What had it been?

If Star hadn't been so concerned with Rowen, she, too, would have been thinking about the impulse sensation feeling she had earlier. However, she was not. At the moment, Kento asked a question.

"Hey, guys, one thing is bothering me. Why didn't that creature attack me, like he did you guys?"

Ryo and Cye and looked at each other. Even Mia was wondering that, and the two friends glanced at each other. That was a very good question. Finally, they turned back to Kento who was staring at them awaiting their answer.

Ryo shook his head. "We don't know, Kento," he said.

Kento sighed and nodded, running a hand through his thick ash blue hair. "Okay, so now what?"

"That's a good question," Cye said as he sat down. "Right now I think we should take turns guarding Rowen. There's got to be a reason why it was sent to kill him."

Mia nodded in agreement, Star was awfully silent, Firestorm just sat there, not sure what to make

of anything, Kento looked murderous, and it was difficult to tell how Ryo seemed..

Finally the leader of the Ronins looked up, his eyes narrowed. "Whatever reason it had, it will not kill Rowen, and we will destroy it, and the master it serves." And his eyes flashed with fire.

Rowen's eyes were fluttering as he began to awake. He shifted slightly in his bed and when he heard a soft whisper of his name he awoke to find a violet eye peering at him with concern. Sage. How long had he been there?

"Rowen, how do you feel?" Sage asked him.

"Like I got hit by a bus," Rowen muttered as he closed his eyes. Sage thinking he was going back to sleep began to lean back and relax a bit, knowing his friend was all right. Then when Rowen opened his eyes again and looked at Sage, the Warrior of Wisdom leaned forward. "Sage, what happened?"

Sage blinked. "You don't remember?"

Rowen sighed. "I remember planning something, and then it got all dark… other than that, I can't remember anything."

Sage frowned. He wasn't sure if this was good or not. Rowen seemed so tired and frail. His skin was more pale than normal, he had dark circles underneath his eyes, and he could barely lift his head past an inch. The Ronin of Halo had healed him the best he could, but it was up to Rowen now.

"Well, maybe you'll remember later," Sage told him. "Right now you need your rest. Are you hungry?"

Rowen shook his head.

"Thirsty?"

"A little."

Sage stood up with a nod. "I'll get you some water then."

Rowen watched him leave, and let his head rest into the pillow as he closed his eyes.

Sage came down the stairs slowly as if depressed, and perhaps he was. The others looked up at him as he stepped into the room. Ryo stood up. "How is he?" he asked, concern showing in his tiger blue eyes.

Sage stepped down off the last step and shook his head. "He doesn't remember anything other than planning on defeating that creature, and it getting all dark after that," he informed them.

This news shocked them, and they stared at Sage as if he had something growing out of his head.

"I don't get it," Firestorm said. "Why would he not remember any of this?"

"Yeah, it doesn't make any sense," Cye said with a nod of his head.

"Do you think that creature could have made him forget?" Kento asked.

"That could be," Mia said.

"Well, he does remember us, right?" Star asked.

Sage nodded his head. "Yes, he does." He sighed deeply and sat down on the couch, rubbing his face. He felt so tired, so drained, and yet he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep at all. They had to take turns watching out for Rowen. And he planned to take the first watch. Then he remembered he was to get Rowen some water and stood up. "Excuse me," he said, and headed off for the kitchen, leaving the others to talk. He grabbed a glass from the left cupboard and held it under the faucet as he turned it on, letting cold water flow into it. When it was halfway to the brim, he shut the water off, and left the kitchen, carefully carrying the glass.

The others watched him go upstairs, then turned to discuss matters at hand.

"YOU FOOL, YOU HAVE FAILED ME AGAIN!" the dark entity's eyes were glowing with an unearthly color, muscles vibrated with much force, and the walls of the cavern shook with the power of his angered voice. The creature in his fist trembled with fear; he could feel his master's crushing grip tightening against his throat and wondered how long it would be before his head was popped off his shoulders.

"Forgive me, my liege! I tried my best!" Yata tried to defend himself.

"There is no excuse for that!"

Yata trembled again. He knew he would soon endure horrible punishment, that he would be subjected to terrible pain beyond human comprehension. But then he was suddenly dropped to the floor, landing rather heavily, and injuring his side. He glanced up at his master in fear and shock as he rose up from his throne.

"Perhaps it is time I paid these Ronins a visit. Rowen of the Strata will be mine, and the rest of the Ronins shall die, and all those who should try and help them."

Before Yata could say anything, his master had vanished in a cloud of fiery smoke, leaving him alone on the hard floor.

Meanwhile the dark figure had appeared outside, staring into the window of the living room from where he stood about twelve feet away. He could see the tall girl there known as Mia Koji, and next to her sat a white haired girl, and on her side sat Ryo of the Wildfire. From across those three, were Cye of the Torrent, some brown haired girl, and Kento of Hardrock. He did not see his prey nor Sage of the Halo. A cold grin spread across his lips. That would work out to his advantage. He would find Rowen in that house, kill Sage of the Halo, then force the others to come up against him, by using Rowen as bait, trapping them in his own realm, before finally finishing them off. Then he would suck out Rowen's soul through his body, destroy it, and then finally destroy his body. Or perhaps he would use his body as a vessel as his own, or perhaps he would destroy the body, but torture the spirit. So many choices. But he would decide what to do later. He wanted the boy to suffer immensely.

He let his dark powers surround him once again as vanished from his spot.

Sage watched as Rowen's chest rose and fell with each breath he took. The Ronin was asleep which was good, since he needed it more than anything. Sage stayed close by, watching him, and keeping alert for anything that may happen. He sighed and rubbed his face. '_How had this happened?'_ he wondered. '_Only days before Rowen had finally started to relax, enjoying living with his mother. And now this had to happen. Why couldn't he be left alone? He suffered enough.' _

He sighed again, wishing there was some way to stop this evil. Suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck pricked up and felt a foreboding sense of danger. He stood up abruptly and reached into his pocket. His eyes widened with fear as it felt empty to him. He checked the other. Empty. Oh no!

"Looking for this?"

Sage looked toward the voice and saw a tall figure dressed in all black robes which trailed about two feet away from him on the floor. He was certain he had never seen this being before, but his countenance was all evil. He peered more closely at the upheld hand and gasped.

"My armor orb! Give it back!"

The figure laughed. "I should say not. Without your armor you can't protect yourself. Or your friend."

Sage glared at him. He had to protect Rowen. He did not care about himself as he believed his friend's and loved ones' lives were more important than his own. But how would he protect him when he was blocking his way? He tried to think of a solution, but he could think of nothing.

Then suddenly he heard pounding footsteps coming up the stairs. The dark figure growled low in his breath, and snapped his fingers. Immediately the door's lock bolted tight, and soon they could hear banging and kicking from the other side.

"SAGE!" That was Ryo.

"Open up!" Cye shouted.

"I CAN'T!" Sage called back to them, not keeping his eyes off the figure.

"What's happening!" Star called through the door. Her voice was filled with concern and anxiety as she and the others continued to try and force their way through.

"There's an evil being in here!" Sage cried. "He's trying to get to Rowen!"

"WHAT?" Ryo cried out in anger. He pounded against the door even more, kicking as hard as he could and ramming his shoulder into it.

The evil figure laughed as he turned to face Rowen. Now to get what I came for."

"No!" Sage shouted as he lunged himself at him. The figure turned and growled and raised his arms up, and Sage went flying back where he hit his head against the back wall. He groaned in pain as he slid down the side of the wall and looked up through blurred eyes as he saw the figure turn back to Rowen again.

Once again, the figure raised his arms up, and this time Rowen levitated into the air. Sage's eyes widened and he struggled to his feet. "Rowen!" he gasped. He had to save him, no matter what it cost. He began to move forward.

The figure paid no attention to him as he beckoned Rowen's sleeping body toward him. Then suddenly there was an explosion of breaking glass. The figure and Sage both turned their heads just in time to see the large white tiger pouncing against the figure, knocking him backward into the door. Sage took this opportunity to grab Rowen and escape through the broken window.

"White Blaze!" he shouted.

The tiger roared as he pushed off the figure and followed after Sage.

The figure stood up, gasping a little. His eyes narrowed into angry slits as he stared out the broken window, watching as the blond escaped with his friend, the tiger following close behind. He turned and looked in the mirror, seeing his almost transparent reflection. He cursed angrily. He was running out of time.

Sage ran and ran as fast as he could until he came to the cabin on the other side of the lake. He rushed inside and put Rowen on the bed, breathing hard as he slumped on the floor beside it. White Blaze approached him and sat before him, staring at the teen with concerned brown eyes.

"Th..tha..thanks, White Blaze," Sage stuttered through gasps. The tiger rumbled a little and butted his hands. Sage raised an eyebrow and the white tiger opened his mouth. Sage smiled and took the orb from him. No matter what the situation was, the tiger always seemed to come through for him. He glanced at Rowen who hadn't woken through the whole episode. He let out a sigh. The others would need to know where he was and soon. He had a feeling that dark figure would be back soon.

He concentrated as hard as he could, and then finally managed to get through to them. '_Guys?'_

'_Sage, where are you?'_ Ryo immediately asked.

'_You okay?' _Cye asked. '_It's all quiet in there.'_

'_I'm fine, so is Rowen,' _Sage answered. '_White Blaze helped us.'_

'_Where are you now?' _Ryo asked. '_We don't hear anything in the room, and sense you're not there anymore.'_

'_At the cabin.'_

'_Good. Stay there,' _Ryo told him. '_We'll be there soon.'_

'_I'll be waiting.'_

Sage opened his eyes and glanced back at Rowen and let a huge tired sigh out. He leaned his head against White Blaze. All he wanted right now was for Rowen to be safe, and rest for himself.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Arising **

**Chapter 4. **

Ryo, Cye, Kento, Mia, Firestorm, and Star ran as fast as they could toward the cabin. The three Ronins were in their subarmor, and Ryo was in the lead, followed by Cye, then by Kento, then by Star, and after her was Firestorm and Mia. In no time at all they had made it to the cabin and got into the door. Sage immediately looked up at them.

"Sage!" Ryo said. "Is he okay?"

Sage frowned as he made himself stand up, supporting himself on the bed frame. "He doesn't remember being attacked at all, Ryo. It's like his memory of that was erased somehow."

Mia frowned. "I wish we knew more about this new enemy," she said as she watched Ryo head over to Rowen to check on him, while Cye and Kento helped supported Sage. "My grandfather's files don't have anything on him."

"Well, we do know it contains information about the new Ronins, so maybe we're missing a keyword or something?" Ryo suggested as he lifted Rowen into his arms. The bearer of Strata did not awake at all.

Firestorm blinked in confusion. She could have sworn that there were only the five of them. Who else was a Ronin Warrior? She rubbed her temples. This was so confusing anymore. She looked at them. "I thought you five were the only ones."

"So did we," Cye said as he and Kento helped Sage toward the door of the cabin. "Turns out there's two more we're searching for."

Firestorm whistled. "And no luck on finding them either?"

"Not a zilch," Kento said.

"Guys, let's get Rowen and Sage back to the house now," Ryo said, and proceeded to carry Rowen out the door.

Sage was helped through it with Cye's and Kento's help, as Star and Firestorm followed close behind. Mia was the last one out along with White Blaze. The auburn hair woman was pretty silent now. At times she wished she had the power to destroy evil. If she could, her friends would never suffer. But it wasn't up to her to save the mortal world. She had not been chosen. All she could do was aid them however she could, and hope that would be enough.

Back at the house Rowen and Sage were placed in their beds to rest. Rowen had never awakened, and Sage after staring at his friend for a moment, had quickly fallen asleep. Kento had offered to stay up here with them to watch over them, but Ryo had told him no.

"I know you'd like to, Kento, but I'd feel much better if I take the first watch," Ryo said.

Kento thought about it. It was best not to argue he figured. Rowen and Sage needed their rest, and Ryo was practically quick on his feet. If the jerk did show up for Rowen, Ryo could handle it. He nodded. "Alright man, but I want next watch."

Ryo nodded in agreement and closed the door behind him. He sat down on a chair near Rowen's study desk, and stayed that way, vigilantly watching his two friends like a falcon. There was no way he would let anyone hurt his friends. Not if he could help it.

As Ryo sat there, guarding them, he marveled at how close Rowen and Sage were. He had no idea just how close, but knowing you had a friend in the same manner as a loving brother was magnificent. At times, Ryo envied the two and their closeness. But for now, he would continue to watch over them, until the time came for Kento to take over.

Kento had returned to his bedroom and laid on his bed. There was a magazine about Sumo Wrestling opened on his bed. At any other time he would have been quite engrossed in it. But today, he could not concentrate on it.

He sighed and fumbled with a page, but it did not seem to want to turn over. He glanced from his magazine to the clock. His eyes narrowed. Ryo could be so stubborn at times. Kento did not see why he couldn't take first watch over Rowen and Sage. Though, he knew this wasn't the time to argue about it, and he had agreed to take the second watch. But he didn't know if he could be patient enough to wait. He was worried about Rowen, knowing there was a demon after him, and perhaps Sage too. The question on his mind was how were they to stop this demon, especially when they didn't even know who the demon was?

He wondered if Sage would be able to find out. Sage had the gift of foresight, or at least Kento assumed he did. There were times the bearer of Hardrock had seen Sage warn them of something ahead of time, and his warnings had always proven his gift. Then again, hadn't Sage seen the demon? If so, perhaps the bearer of Halo would tell them.

Kento peered down at his magazine again and forced himself to read three sentences. He looked at the clock again and sighed heavily. Three hours seemed so far away.

Mia sat on the sofa, staring blankly at the television. A game show was on, but she could have cared less about it. She was more concerned about Rowen. Come to think of it, why did she even have the television on? She sighed heavily and thought about shutting it off. She continued to sit there, however; her eyes fixed upon the screen, her mind elsewhere.

How did it happen? When she had first met Rowen, he had never let on that anything was wrong. Then one day, she had caught him stumbling toward the house with a large bruise between the eyes. She had been the only one home at the time, the only one who could treat him at the time. He had not told her the truth, and she had been shocked to discover the truth from Sage. Now Rowen was again in danger. But why?

Mia shifted slightly. The demon had appeared to both Sage and Rowen in their bedroom, having forced them to escape to the cabin with the help of White Blaze. She wanted to do something. She wanted to find out who this demon was and how to effectively stop him.

She suddenly grabbed the remote control and clicked the television off and stood up. She was going to find out whatever she could about this demon. She went to her computer room and turned the computer on. When it warmed up, she began to check every hidden file folder, every document, every drive in her computer with secret pass codes and with permission keys. Little did she know Star had seen her go into the room and had followed her. When she did realize Star was behind her, she smiled. Star was so caring, it was only natural she would want to see if Mia could find anything to help Rowen. And Mia knew Star had a love for Rowen.

Mia sighed after an hour. So far none held any information that she was looking for. Star stood behind her, watching her, wanting to help. For some reason, the white haired girl believed she knew where to search for the new enemy. How she knew she didn't know. Something in her heart was telling her to where to look, but she couldn't say anything yet. Perhaps Mia would discover on her own.

Mia sighed, trying to keep her frustration down to a minimum. She knew getting upset would no do them no good, and she needed to keep a level head. But that was nearly impossible, she decided. Any other time her grandfather would keep important files on a disk and she'd always be able to locate them. She even tried deciphering quite a few of them, and now they laid on the corner of her desk, already checked through.

"Mia, do you think maybe your grandfather might have put it within a riddle of some kind?" Star suddenly asked.

Mia blinked and turned her head to stare at the teen. Her eyes seemed to gaze faraway for a moment. Star watched her steadily as she awaited her answer.

Mia looked shocked as she began digging into the drawers of her desk, tossing out papers and other important looking documents onto her desk.. When she had enough on there, she began to search through each one, perhaps hoping beyond hope there were riddles her grandfather had written down. Star helped her out, but so far nothing seemed to match with what they were seeking. By now, Mia was near tears.

Star frowned and patted the older girl's shoulder. "Come on, Mia, don't be so hard on yourself.. We'll figure this out. I've heard from the others you are really good at finding out information. Don't get discouraged like this. You can do this."

Mia's tears ran down her cheeks. She wanted so much to believe her, but right now it was impossible. She knew that Rowen's life was in danger, and she felt there was nothing she could do at all to help him, or the others.. How was she going to live this down if anything happened to them while she just sat here, searching endlessly?

Yata knew better than to ask his master if everything had gone according to plan. The moment his master had returned, the room began to smell extremely sweet like the aroma of a rose garden. That was when you knew he was extremely irritated at having failed at something. So, the small demon kept to himself and away from his master as far as possible. He was hoping he would not be blamed for this; but then again that seemed unlikely.

As of now, his master was punching furiously at the cavern like walls, shouting obscenities and curses. His rage increased with each pummel, and he began to make holes within the walls of the room.

Yata watched from around the corner, his eyes wide with fear.. Deep in the back of his mind he was pleading silently he would not be picked upon.

The master stopped suddenly as he rested his palms against a part of the wall which had no holes in it.. His muscles flexed menacingly and his eyes were bulging; he was taking deep breaths one at a time to calm himself.. It was a hard process for him to go through and often it took him lots of energy to do so. When at last he had calmed down, the room had become the same pewter smell it had always been. Finally he turned and sat down in his throne.

"I am tired of the antics of these Ronin Warriors.. I know there is a way to stop them, but the fate against me tonight has been decided. I will capture Rowen of the Strata, and the other Ronin Warriors, and even the two new ones which have not yet been found, will never see him alive.. I will take his soul and do what I please with it."

Yata kept silent as he listened. Was it possible that his master would succeed? He didn't know, but he had a feeling things would become more complicated sooner than anyone would ever expect.

It was Kento's turn now. Ryo was feeling exhausted, having watched Rowen and Sage for six hours straight. Kento sat down on the same chair that Ryo had sat in, and kept his Game Boy Advance in his hands, while glancing toward his fellow Ronins every few minutes. No evil scum was getting in here while he was guarding. So far neither Rowen nor Sage had awakened, and nobody thought they would for the rest of the night. They needed all the rest they could get, and hopefully by tomorrow they would be fully healed.

There were a few times when Sage turned over in his sleep, and Kento thought he would wake up, but the bearer of Halo slept on. So far Rowen remained in the same position he had been put in when he had been placed in his bed earlier.

About six hours later, Cye took his turn, allowing Kento to head to bed. Like Kento's watch, Cye didn't encounter any opposition, and things were relatively peaceful. And he was hoping they would stay that way. At the moment he was the only one awake within the house. When his turn was over, he would allow White Blaze to guard the two. He sighed deeply. All of this stress was going to make them all go crazy, especially Rowen.

Sage's eyes began fluttering and his hand clenched a bit as a soft moan escaped through his lips. Cye heard it clearly though and sat up a bit, closely watching him. For a moment Sage didn't move at all, and Cye believed he fell asleep once again. Then Sage moved again.

"Sage?"

Sage opened his eyes and looked toward him. The first thing he asked was, "How's Rowen?"

Cye smiled gently. "Rowen's asleep in his bed. He'll be all right, thanks to you."

Sage nodded and sat up a bit, putting a hand to his head. There was still some cobwebs in it, and he needed time to clear it. So far it seemed as if that evil demon hadn't attacked, and Rowen was resting peacefully. He looked toward Cye again. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"At least a half day," Cye replied.

Sage's eyes widened with surprise. "That long? I've never slept that long!"

"I know," Cye agreed. "But you needed it, and so does Rowen. I don't expect him to wake up before this night's over."

Sage turned his head and looked over at the clock. It was now 1:30 in the morning. Everyone was already sleeping now. He felt wide awake though. Cye looked like he was ready to drop at any moment now.

"Cye, why don't you go ahead and go to bed?" Sage suggested. "I feel a lot better now, and I can watch Rowen."

"Are you sure?" Cye asked. "I was going to have White Blaze…"

"No, I'm sure," Sage replied firmly.

Cye hesitated, then with a reluctant nod of his head, stood up, and left the room.

Sage threw back his blanket and climbed off his bed. He needed to check on Rowen as his concern would not go away for him. He walked over to his friend's bed and gently pulled the cover away from Rowen's face. Rowen appeared to be sleeping peacefully. He couldn't be sure though. He placed his hand on Rowen's forehead and concentrated. For a few minutes he could feel nothing, but then he noticed that Rowen was halfway toward a peaceful sleep, while the other half was being pulled toward a nightmare of some kind.. Sage bit his lip. He did not like this one bit.. Rowen wasn't exactly strong at the moment, and it was strongly possible that he would plunge into a horrific nightmare. Sage knew he had to do something soon.

He stood there for several moments, trying to think. He had to be careful of what choice he made to save Rowen from this, because if he did the wrong thing, Rowen could be in immortal danger. There was one chance he had, but it was a high risk, and he couldn't do it without the other Ronins. He didn't want to leave Rowen though, so he hoped the other Ronins weren't in a deep sleep.

He concentrated as hard as he could. For a moment he was unaware of the link being opened, until he heard a half groggy voice speaking through his mind.

'_Sage, what's wrong?' _It was Ryo.

'_It's Rowen.. He's fighting against an oncoming nightmare.. I need your help and the others' help to pull him away from it, before something happens."_

"_Alright, I'm heading to your room now. I see Kento and Cye coming down the hall."_

"_Yeah, we heard everything. What's the deal though? Do you think it's that new bad guy that's been attacking us?'_

'_We don't know, Cye, but I'm willing to bet it is,' Sage said._

'_He's messing with the wrong person then!'_

'_Right, Kento.. Okay, Sage, we're here now.'_

Ryo pushed the door opened and walked into the bedroom with Cye and Kento. The three of them joined Sage around Rowen's bed.

Already knowing what they had to do, the four Ronins stood with their arms extended, reaching out toward Rowen and each one gently grasping a limb. At this point the bearer of Strata began thrashing about, causing his bed to shake.

This commotion caused Mia to awaken down the hall and she rushed right where she heard the noise coming from. Stepping into the room, she witnessed them getting ready to perform what looked like a type of ceremony.

"What in the world is going on here?" she asked.

"Rowen's in trouble," Cye told her..

"Shh!" Sage ordered.. "Let's hurry and do this!"

Mia grew quiet as she watched them. She had no idea why this was happening, or for what reason, but she knew Rowen's suffering had to end and soon..

Ryo, Sage, Kento, and Cye were now glowing their respective armor's colors. Their concentration began to increase…

Someone else came into the room. It was Star. She had been in a deep sleep when she felt something extraordinary happening. She wasn't sure what was going on, but one look from Mia told her it was best to remain silent, and allow the Ronins to solve this problem.

Their kanjis began to shine on their foreheads, with each mind and soul reaching out to Rowen, it didn't take long for their kanjis to glow even more brilliantly, more than they ever done so before. At the same time Mia noticed that the kanji of hope was burning on Star's forehead. She put a hand to her mouth, but didn't dare to say anything for fearing of breaking the Ronins' concentration.

Star herself did not seem to noticed this; she continued to watch Rowen, hoping whatever the Ronins were doing would save him.

Sage grit his teeth as he felt his power go into Rowen's subconscious mind. Soon enough the other Ronins' powers arrived. Deep within the chasm, they were able to see Rowen's memories, his thoughts on his family and friends, of past events, and on the other side, the nightmare that was slowly creeping about and spreading forward, overtaking the good memories. They could hear crying and begging for mercy. The sound of evil laughter filled the air, and cruel whispering, '_You're worthless, you're nothing to your friends, they hate you, you're not loved,' _was heard repeating itself over and over again within Rowen's mind. Outside in the real world, Rowen's body continued to thrash about. The Ronins gripped him tighter, doing their best to hold him down. None of this was easy as Rowen could be quite strong when he wasn't thinking about it.

Again and again they continued to pour their kanjis out.. Soon whispers came, but it was their own voices that filled Rowen's mind.

"_Virtue." _

"_Trust." _

"_Justice." _

"_Wisdom." _

"_Hope."_

Five, not four bursts of light struck out at the dark force. Loud screams were heard as each burst of light broke into the shadow, breaking it up and sending it retreating.

Rowen's thrashing began to die down slowly, before stopping altogether.

Sage wanted to make sure the dark force was gone entirely, before letting go. He did a quick scan with his Second Sight, viewing everything over in Rowen's mind. All he could see were Rowen's memories on his friends, his home, the fight with Talpa.. Memories that would never take Rowen down with them. These were the memories that had to say. The Bearer of Halo sighed in relief, and then one by one the Ronins began to leave Rowen's mind.

Mia hurried over to them. "Is he okay now?"

Sage collapsed into a chair, feeling exhausted. "He's fine now."

"What I don't understand," Cye said as he looked back at Rowen, "is who sent that shadowy figure to Rowen's mind?"

"We don't know, Cye," Ryo said as he shook his head. "I'm confused about something else.. There were suppose to be only four kinds of virtuous kanjis. But there was a fifth one, and it wasn't Rowen's."

"So then who was it?" Kento asked.

Mia looked over at Star who was now by Rowen's bedside. She thought about telling them what she had seen, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to do so.

It was then that the Ronins noticed Star standing by Rowen's bedside. When had she come in?

Mia approached them. "Are you sure Rowen is going to be all right?"

"I hope so," Sage said as he stood up. "I don't know why that evil jerk is after him, or who or what he even is, but this has to stop. I'm not sure Rowen can take much more of this."

"So why are we standing around like ducks?" Kento demanded. "We should be out there stopping this jerk!"

Ryo rubbed his head, but he had to agree with Kento. He wasn't sure how much longer he could stand there himself, watching as Rowen suffered and fought against whoever was after him. As far as they knew this enemy, the main one, gave no name, and his face had never been seen.. It was as if he were a dark shadow. How was that possible though? Was this an evil spirit? It couldn't have been a ghost, right? Right?

The shadowy figure stood far out in the backyard of the manor, floating silently in mid-air, watching Ryo through the window. So, this Ronin was beginning to believe he was a ghost. What a lot of laughs. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage and fool them all.

Just then he felt something coming from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and his lips curled into a snarl. From twenty miles away, he could see the huge wings of a gigantic black dragon coming toward him. He did not need the irritation of encountering a dragon at the moment. He had other things on his mind at the moment. In a blink of an eye he vanished, along with his plans.


	5. Chapter 5

****

The Arising

Chapter 5.

Rowen's eyes were fluttering as he began to awake. He shifted slightly in his bed and when he heard a soft whisper of his name he awoke to find a violet eye peering at him with concern. Sage. How long had he been there? 

"Rowen, how do you feel?" Sage asked him. 

"Like I got hit by a bus," Rowen muttered as he closed his eyes. Sage thinking he was going back to sleep began to lean back and relax a bit, knowing his friend was all right. Then when Rowen opened his eyes again and looked at Sage, the Warrior of Wisdom leaned forward. "Sage, what happened?"

Sage blinked. "You don't remember?"

Rowen sighed. "I remember planning something, and then it got all dark… other than that, I can't remember anything."

Sage frowned. He wasn't sure if this was good or not. Rowen seemed so tired and frail. His skin was more pale than normal, he had dark circles underneath his eyes, and he could barely lift his head past an inch. The Ronin of Halo had healed him the best he could, but it was up to Rowen now. 

"Well, maybe you'll remember later," Sage told him. "Right now you need your rest. Are you hungry?"

Rowen shook his head.

"Thirsty?"

"A little."

Sage stood up with a nod. "I'll get you some water then."

Rowen watched him leave, and let his head rest into the pillow as he closed his eyes. 

Sage came down the stairs slowly as if depressed, and perhaps he was. The others looked up at him as he stepped into the room. Ryo stood up. "How is he?" he asked, concern showing in his tiger blue eyes.

Sage stepped down off the last step and shook his head. "He doesn't remember anything other than planning on defeating that creature, and it getting all dark after that," he informed them. 

This news shocked them, and they stared at Sage as if he had something growing out of his head.

"I don't get it," Firestorm said. "Why would he not remember any of this?"

"Yeah, it doesn't make any sense," Cye said with a nod of his head.

"Do you think that creature could have made him forget?" Kento asked.

"That could be," Mia said. 

"Well, he does remember us, right?" Star asked.

Sage nodded his head. "Yes, he does." He sighed deeply and sat down on the couch, rubbing his face. He felt so tired, so drained, and yet he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep at all. They had to take turns watching out for Rowen. And he planned to take the first watch. Then he remembered he was to get Rowen some water and stood up. "Excuse me," he said, and headed off for the kitchen, leaving the others to talk. He grabbed a glass from the left cupboard and held it under the faucet as he turned it on, letting cold water flow into it. When it was halfway to the brim, he shut the water off, and left the kitchen, carefully carrying the glass.

The others watched him go upstairs, then turned to discuss matters at hand.

"YOU FOOL, YOU HAVE FAILED ME AGAIN!!" the dark entity's eyes were glowing with an unearthly color, muscles vibrated with much force, and the walls of the cavern shook with the power of his angered voice. The creature in his fist trembled with fear; he could feel his master's crushing grip tightening against his throat and wondered how long it would be before his head was popped off his shoulders.

"Forgive me, my liege! I tried my best!" Yata tried to defend himself.

"There is no excuse for that!" 

Yata trembled again. He knew he would soon endure horrible punishment, that he would be subjected to terrible pain beyond human comprehension. But then he was suddenly dropped to the floor, landing rather heavily, and injuring his side. He glanced up at his master in fear and shock as he rose up from his throne.

"Perhaps it is time I paid these Ronins a visit. Rowen of the Strata will be mine, and the rest of the Ronins shall die, and all those who should try and help them."

Before Yata could say anything, his master had vanished in a cloud of fiery smoke, leaving him alone on the hard floor. 

Meanwhile the dark figure had appeared outside, staring into the window of the living room from where he stood about twelve feet away. He could see the tall girl there known as Mia Koji, and next to her sat a white haired girl, and on her side sat Ryo of the Wildfire. From across those three, were Cye of the Torrent, some brown haired girl, and Kento of Hardrock. He did not see his prey nor Sage of the Halo. A cold grin spread across his lips. That would work out to his advantage. He would find Rowen in that house, kill Sage of the Halo, then force the others to come up against him, by using Rowen as bait, trapping them in his own realm, before finally finishing them off. Then he would suck out Rowen's soul through his body, destroy it, and then finally destroy his body. Or perhaps he would use his body as a vessel as his own, or perhaps he would destroy the body, but torture the spirit. So many choices. But he would decide what to do later. He wanted the boy to suffer immensely.

He let his dark powers surround him once again as vanished from his spot. 

Sage watched as Rowen's chest rose and fell with each breath he took. The Ronin was asleep which was good, since he needed it more than anything. Sage stayed close by, watching him, and keeping alert for anything that may happen. He sighed and rubbed his face. _'How had this happened?'_ he wondered. _'Only days before Rowen had finally started to relax, enjoying living with his mother. And now this had to happen. Why couldn't he be left alone? He suffered enough.' _

He sighed again, wishing there was some way to stop this evil. Suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck pricked up and felt a foreboding sense of danger. He stood up abruptly and reached into his pocket. His eyes widened with fear as it felt empty to him. He checked the other. Empty. Oh no! 

"Looking for this?"

Sage looked toward the voice and saw a tall figure dressed in all black robes which trailed about two feet away from him on the floor. He was certain he had never seen this being before, but his countenance was all evil. He peered more closely at the upheld hand and gasped.

"My armor orb! Give it back!"

The figure laughed. "I should say not. Without your armor you can't protect yourself. Or your friend."

Sage glared at him. He had to protect Rowen. He did not care about himself as he believed his friend's and loved ones' lives were more important than his own. But how would he protect him when he was blocking his way? He tried to think of a solution, but he could think of nothing. 

Then suddenly he heard pounding footsteps coming up the stairs. The dark figure growled low in his breath, and snapped his fingers. Immediately the door's lock bolted tight, and soon they could hear banging and kicking from the other side.

"SAGE!!" That was Ryo.

"Open up!" Cye shouted.

"I CAN'T!" Sage called back to them, not keeping his eyes off the figure.

"What's happening?!" Star called through the door. Her voice was filled with concern and anxiety as she and the others continued to try and force their way through.

"There's an evil being in here!" Sage cried. "He's trying to get to Rowen!"

"WHAT?" Ryo cried out in anger. He pounded against the door even more, kicking as hard as he could and ramming his shoulder into it.

The evil figure laughed as he turned to face Rowen. Now to get what I came for."

"No!" Sage shouted as he lunged himself at him. The figure turned and growled and raised his arms up, and Sage went flying back where he hit his head against the back wall. He groaned in pain as he slid down the side of the wall and looked up through blurred eyes as he saw the figure turn back to Rowen again. 

Once again, the figure raised his arms up, and this time Rowen levitated into the air. Sage's eyes widened and he struggled to his feet. "Rowen!" he gasped. He had to save him, no matter what it cost. He began to move forward.

The figure paid no attention to him as he beckoned Rowen's sleeping body toward him. Then suddenly there was an explosion of breaking glass. The figure and Sage both turned their heads just in time to see the large white tiger pouncing against the figure, knocking him backward into the door. Sage took this opportunity to grab Rowen and escape through the broken window. 

"White Blaze!" he shouted.

The tiger roared as he pushed off the figure and followed after Sage.

The figure stood up, gasping a little. His eyes narrowed into angry slits as he stared out the broken window, watching as the blond escaped with his friend, the tiger following close behind. He turned and looked in the mirror, seeing his almost transparent reflection. He cursed angrily. He was running out of time. 

Sage ran and ran as fast as he could until he came to the cabin on the other side of the lake. He rushed inside and put Rowen on the bed, breathing hard as he slumped on the floor beside it. White Blaze approached him and sat before him, staring at the teen with concerned brown eyes.

"Th..tha..thanks, White Blaze," Sage stuttered through gasps. The tiger rumbled a little and butted his hands. Sage raised an eyebrow and the white tiger opened his mouth. Sage smiled and took the orb from him. No matter what the situation was, the tiger always seemed to come through for him. He glanced at Rowen who hadn't woken through the whole episode. He let out a sigh. The others would need to know where he was and soon. He had a feeling that dark figure would be back soon.

He concentrated as hard as he could, and then finally managed to get through to them. _'Guys?'_

'Sage, where are you?' Ryo immediately asked.

'_You okay?' _Cye asked. _'It's all quiet in there.'_

'I'm fine, so is Rowen,' Sage answered. _'White Blaze helped us.'_

'_Where are you now?' _Ryo asked. _'We don't hear anything in the room, and sense you're not there anymore.'_

'At the cabin.'

'Good. Stay there,' Ryo told him. _'We'll be there soon.'_

'I'll be waiting.'

Sage opened his eyes and glanced back at Rowen and let a huge tired sigh out. He leaned his head against White Blaze. All he wanted right now was for Rowen to be safe, and rest for himself. 


	6. Chapter 6

**The Arising**

**Chapter 6.**

"Rowen!" Sage screamed as horror registered on his face. He nearly jumped through the living room window, but Kento held him back in strong arms. The Warrior of Wisdom struggled and kicked to get free, but Kento's grip was just too strong for him. He slumped against him, breathing hard, sweat pouring down his face, his hair in shambles as he kept his head bowed.

Ryo was furious and he was blaming himself for this. If only he had led all of them outside when he had had the chance, then he could have called forth their armors and defeated the little demon. Now because of his overconfidence Rowen was gone. What were they to do? It was simple and the answer became firm within his head as he looked up, narrowing his eyes into slits. They had to find and rescue Rowen. He knew they would have a difficult time finding him though as he could be held anywhere now. But still they had to try.

He raised his head and looked directly at the others. "We have to find Rowen and we have to find him now. There isn't time to waste."

"But we don't know where to start looking," Star said with a frown.

Sage could hear them and he knew he had to surmount his own broken self to help out. Rowen was his best friend and he was counting on him. If they could just get some lead on the demon's hideout, then they would at least have a better chance. Liberating him would be difficult, but they would go to any lengths to save him.

He could remember how he and Rowen had met many years ago when Sage and his family had moved to Toyama from Tokyo. Rowen, then five years old, and with both parents, had made it a point to become Sage's friend even if Sage had treated him coldly. However as the years went past, Sage grew closer and closer to the determined little blue haired boy. But then when they had both turned eight, Rowen and his parents had divorced, his mother had taken off, and Rowen had been forced to move to Bronx, New York with his father. They had not seen each other for many years until Talpa first attacked. Now with even a few more years that had passed by, Sage felt as if Rowen was the brother he had never had. He was determined more than anyone else in the room to get him back and he would take whatever means there were. Even if it meant going beyond his will, though he knew even that would be disastrous.

"We have to start looking anywhere," he finally said in a firm voice. He pushed himself away from Kento, but he could feel the Hardrock bearer's gaze on him, steadily watching him in case he freaked out again. "It's better to start at one place than at nowhere at all," he finished.

Mia nodded in agreement. More and more time was passing and so far none of them had even mentioned for them to go already. Rowen could be getting tortured now because of Leokoni's hatred and need for revenge. If they were going to rescue him they had to do it now.

"Um," Firestorm suddenly spoke up, causing everyone to look her way. She had been mostly silent and they had almost forgotten she was there. "I can find this demon."

They blinked at her. Cye came closer to her and stared into her eyes, wanting to know how she possibly could when none of them seemed to know where he was. If she could actually find him that would be wonderful, but how earth would she do that? Did she know this demon lord? It seemed to be the only explanation there was.

"How?" Cye wanted to know as he calmly waited for her answer.

Firestorm looked down, fear registering on her face. For so long she had hid the terrible secret within her, telling only her friend Star, making her swear on everything she had that she would not tell a soul. It wasn't easy keeping it hidden from so many people, especially when the transformation could happen when she was extremely infuriated without her control over it. But as she had spoken up, she knew she had no choice but to tell them all the truth. She only hoped they could take it better than she hoped.

"I.. I'm part dragon," she said, her voice a little low.

"Say what?" Ryo asked in shock. He dug out his right ear furiously with a finger, then looked at her again. "Mind repeating that?"

"You heard me," Firestorm replied, her voice cracking a little. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. The four Ronins, Mia, and White Blaze continued to stare at her. The Ronins and Mia were staring at her in shock, but White Blaze stared calmly as if he had known all along. Star stood beside her, offering her support. "My father is known as a Dragonite. What that is, it's a dragon who transform into a human and interacts with them. He met my mother, they fell in love, and well of course I was born about fourteen months later. Yes, a human who is impregnated by a Dragonite carries their fetus for fourteen months. Moving on. Because I have my father's blood in me I can transform into a dragon. And I can smell things normal humans cannot."

Kento held up his hands, shaking them some. He wasn't sure if he believed her or not; the whole thing just seemed too farfetched if you asked him. "Wait, how do we know if you're telling us the truth or not?"

Firestorm's eyes narrowed. She hated when people didn't believe her about something. Time and time again she would either have to prove herself, or snap off to them that she didn't care if they did or didn't. Because of who she was, her temper was great and often out of control. She took a deep breath and counted to ten slowly forward and backward. "I can prove it."

Sage nodded. "That would be wise."

So they all went outside and to the biggest part of the yard. Together they waited for Firestorm to prove of what she was. For a long time everything was still, even the leaves on the trees. No sound came from anywhere as she prepared herself. It was like everything was waiting for her to begin.

Suddenly she began to glow a purplish color, the sky turned black as if a fierce storm was coming, the kanji of honor glowed brilliantly in her forehead. All of them stared wide eyed. Only Star and White Blaze seemed to be calm during this. Then suddenly, she transformed.

Before their very eyes stood a forty foot tall dragon. Its scales were black, the eyes the same color of silver blue. The wing span was the same length as the body which was about eighty feet long and thirty feet wide, the tail was thick and massive with six large spikes at the tip, three on either side, there were two spikes above her nostrils, the outer one being slightly larger than the inner one, there were smaller spikes along her forehead, and huge spikes going down her neck to her back.

Their mouths dropped. So she had been telling the truth. This was almost too much to bear, and yet it was quite fascinating at the same time. Just imagine they had a dragon on their side. That was really something, and it would help them out a lot. Now it was time to find Rowen and get him back.

Rowen's eyes fluttered several times, his eyebrows wrinkled, and a frown came to his lips as his body moved slightly. Instantly, pain shot through his ribs and he gave a little yelp, before his eyes were forced to open and behold his surroundings. He was lying just inches above the stone floor of a dirty cell, his arms and legs had been stretched painfully to either side as he was on his back. It was as if he had been chained to the air itself, for there was nothing underneath his body but just the floor and it was about six inches away. He tried to look around, but he could only look so far without causing pain to his neck and torso.

How long had he been here? he wondered. He could barely remember anything except the battle he and his friends had with the small demon Yata. He realized what must have happened. Yata had finally captured him for his master. He was certain his friends were looking for him, but he wasn't sure if they'd be able to find him. They had been trying to find out all they could about the demon master only to keep coming to a dead end. And frankly even he had no clue where he was, how close or how far he was from his friends. Could he be miles away, or right before their eyes? It was hard saying, but he was certain he'd soon discover the answer.

He tried shifting again to become comfortable and soon cried out in pain. His left side burned like fire and he soon discovered the reason why. There was a long thin gash running from under his breast to his hip. Although it did not require stitches, it still bled, dripping onto the floor and collecting into a puddle underneath him. Funny, he hadn't noticed the blood before. Just how had he gotten it?

From the last attack, Rowen concluded to himself. It was the best explanation he could give himself. Now that he knew about it, it was burning like fire and it hurt worse when he moved the slightest way.

He let out a sigh. This was ridiculous. What were they planning?

Suddenly, there was a twinkling before his eyes and he stared at the spot in front of him, narrowing his eyes as it grew brighter and bigger, forming into the shape of a humanoid. A tall man appeared before him, his thin mouth twisting into a cold satisfied smile. His hair was ebony and thick against the back of his skull, trailing downward toward the middle of his back. His skin was a dark tanned color and his eyes were red and piercing.

Rowen blinked at him in confusion as he struggled to figure whether or not he knew this demon. Wait, was this the same demon master that had been defeated by his ancestor so many years before? It had to have been.

"So, we meet at last, Rowen of the Strata," the demon master said.

Rowen's eyes turned into cold slits. "What do you want with me?" he demanded. He wasn't sure why he was asking this as he already knew what the answer would be. It was quite redundant for evil beings to want the same thing from you.

"Revenge," came the reply. The demon master came closer to his left side and forced Rowen's head to turn to look up at him. Rowen grimaced and shut one eye against the pressure, trying to pull away, but it didn't do him any good. His neck was held firmly by the muscular hand, making it strenuous to even turn it somewhat.

The demon master continued on as if this didn't faze him one bit. "Your ancestor defeated me a long time ago, and I promised to myself I would take out the first person who looked like him. And you, my dear boy, are the spitting image of Bunjiro Dayu." He let go of Rowen's neck and walked away from him a few feet before turning again, his long robes and cape swishing around him in a distinctive air of haughtiness. He narrowed his eyes at the boy before him. "You may be wondering why I didn't attack you before this."

"It never crossed my mind, to be frank," Rowen spat at him.

The demon master continued as if though he had not heard him. "The truth was, I did attack you. I've been attacking you all your life from the time your parents divorced and your father took you to the States."

Now Rowen's eyes opened so wide they looked ready to pop out through his sockets. He stared, horrified at Leokoni who wore a smirk on his cold face. The bearer of the Strata armor was certain he had gone completely white. For a long time silence reigned between the two of them. The air in the room seemed awfully thick, and Rowen wondered whether or not he was having difficulty in breathing. He wanted to close his eyes against what he was seeing, wanted to be deaf unto the words that he had heard with his own ears.

Leokoni continued as if this was an ordinary conversation he were having. But it was much crueler and one filled with poison which nearly tore Rowen's heart into several pieces. "You see, your father _did _in fact love you very much, Rowen. I, however, saw his broken heart and spirit, and used that against him to get to you. Though when he foolishly got drunk and smoked that cigarette, causing the fire in your house, I lost my control on him. And I lost the power to torment you. But do you think I gave up? No. I planned a new way to get at you."

"And that would be?" Rowen pressed. A part of him was being sarcastic, but the other part needed to know just what was planned. It might save his life if he was lucky enough.

"I'd like you to meet someone," Leokoni said. He snapped his fingers and a swirling mass of black energy appeared. At first it looked like a tiny black dot, but the more it grew the more it began to look like some kind of vortex. When it had grown about the size of a small closet, Rowen thought he could see a figure hanging from golden chains in it. He peered closely at it, trying to take it in so he could at least tell who it was. Though, he was having a difficult time doing so.

"Something wrong?" Leokoni asked with an amused smile. "Perhaps you need a better perception?" He snapped his fingers again and the vortex actually brought its prisoner closer to Rowen. He stared again, a frown on his face as he began to recognize several distinct features. The black hair, the piercing night blue sky eyes, the pale skin. Fear immediately became readable in his eyes and he about choked on it. "D..Dad?" he stuttered.

The figure slowly looked up at him. Pain registered on Mr. Hashiba's face. There were several large deadly looking bruises on it, two under his eyes, near the jawbone, his right eye was swollen shut, his lips cracked and bleeding. "R.Rowen," he managed to spit out between painful gasps, before vomiting up blood.

Rowen looked on in horror. His heart pounded with fear, thumping wildly against his torso, making it difficult to even think straight. He wasn't sure if he was suppose to feel regretful for his father, or whether he should just shrug and not care what had happened to him. All he knew was that he wanted this nightmare to be over.

The dragon swooped across the land, its belly nearly touching the ground as she sniffed along it. Various smells from decaying animals and plants, to shoes, and dead skin, to other smells which are undetected to human beings, came up to her nostrils. Behind her, a group of four boys wearing their subarmors, and two girls followed.

So far she hadn't picked the trail up, and Ryo was getting worried. He knew he had to be patient, but there wasn't much time to waste. Who knew what that evil demon was doing to Rowen right now?

He wasn't sure if he wanted to think about that right now. Rowen had already been through so much his whole life, suffering each day, and without telling them for the longest time. When he finally had told, he begged them all not to do anything. But the question was why? Fear most likely. But now, Rowen was probably more frightened than he had ever been.

They continued to travel onward, going deep into the woods now. White Blaze joined Sage's side, sensing the Ronin of Halo was particularly antsy at the moment. They couldn't have him going off suddenly and alone, so the tiger knew he would be the best one to stop him should he try anything.

Star watched as the dragon lowered herself to the ground and came closer as she sniffed around the ground several times. She then began digging at an area. Star felt a glimmer of hope. Whenever she did that, it meant something important was found. From behind her, Ryo, Kento, Sage, and Mia caught up, all wondering the same exact thing.

"Did she find him?" Sage demanded.

"I don't know," Star replied, then looked up at the dragon. "Firestorm, find anything?"

Firestorm continued to dig around the ground, then found what she was looking for. She snatched it up in her jaw and showed it to them. It was Rowen's jacket.

"He shouldn't be too far from here then, right?" Ryo asked as he took the jacket and held it in his hands.

The dragon nodded her head in agreement, then took off to the sky again. They followed her, praying and hoping they would get to their destination as quickly as possible. They didn't care how long it would take them to find Rowen, and they did not care what obstacles they had to go through. They were even willing to give up their own lives just so he would be free.

They came out of the woods after an hour and a half and found themselves on a deserted highway near the beach. The dragon sniffed about, trying to determine the direction of where the demon's and Rowen's scent had gone to. So far she couldn't smell anything at all. She snorted and looked down at Star and shook her gigantic head.

Star frowned and turned to the others, looking rather disappointed. "She's lost the trail."

"Now what?" Kento wanted to know. He could just imagine what horrible things were happening to Rowen right now.

Ryo looked around the surrounding area. A gentle breeze came up from the ocean's currents and seagulls cried to one another above the waters. He wasn't sure what to do at this point. All he knew was that Rowen needed their help. Then he looked down at White Blaze. The tiger stared back at him as if waiting for a command. And then he knew. He nodded his head. "Okay, White Blaze, try to track down Rowen's trail."

The tiger sniffed the air, then sniffed along the ground, going in a circle a few times. As everyone waited they held their breaths in hope the tiger would find something. For about ten minutes White Blaze sniffed along the ground, coming closer to the water's edge. Then suddenly he began to paw at a certain spot in a furious manner. Sage got to him first and studied the area below him. There was a thin footprint there and it didn't look as if it belonged to a normal human being. Claw marks were showing just about the footprint, and one nail mark was showing on the back of the heel.

Sage looked up at the others. "They were here," he said bluntly.

Mia was looking around with a frown. Where could they have possibly gone? she wondered. Then she looked over at the ocean as it suddenly hit her. "That demon must have flown him over the ocean."

"Great," Kento said bitterly. "So how do we get to him?"

"Well, I can swim across," Cye said.

"That doesn't help the rest of us," Ryo said with a frown.

"Ahem," Star cleared her throat, getting their attention. They raised their eyebrows at her, half expecting her to say something about renting a boat. Instead she pointed to Firestorm. "We can ride on her back, and she'll fly us across."

"Um, how high?" Cye asked. Given the choice between air or ground, he'd rather stay on ground as heights frightened him. He would only go atop high buildings when it was absolutely necessary and he tried to avoid it at all costs.

"Not real high," Star said thoughtfully, "but high enough to avoid the ocean's currents."

"It won't be that bad, Cye," Kento said.

"And we have no other choice," Ryo said.

"Right then," Sage said. He climbed up on Firestorm's back, and was followed by Ryo, Mia, Cye, Star, and then Kento, and finally White Blaze. The dragon turned her massive head to make sure everyone was on board and hanging on firmly. She couldn't afford to lose any passengers. With a small roar, she began to flap her wings against the air currents before catching the right one, and soon lifted up into the air.

Leokoni smiled at Rowen calmly as the teenager continued to stare in horror at his father. He walked around to the front of his head and stared at his other prisoner for a while before lowering his eyes to meet Rowen's. "Is there something the matter?" he asked casually. "I'd have thought that you would love to see your father again."

Rowen spat at him. "You monster!"

Leokoni wiped it off with a disgusted look, then grabbed Rowen by the jaw and pressed his thumb into one corner of his mouth, stretching it outward just enough to add some pain to the boy. "Yes, I am a monster, Rowen of the Strata. But I will be more than just a monster if you dare spit at me with your pathetic saliva again."

Rowen stared at him as he winced. He could feel blood dripping down his mouth and he was sickened by it. Finally Leokoni released him and walked away from him so that he stood in between the two prisoners. "Now that I have the both of you, what shall I do with you?"

Rowen didn't answer as he tried to work his bonds free. He knew he didn't have a lot of time left before the demon master killed him. He continued to pray his friends would show up in time to save him, but as the minutes ticked by with each agonizing moment, he wasn't so sure they would make it there at all.

Leokoni suddenly grinned a fiendish grin and clapped his hands loudly. "Let's have some fun shall we?" Without waiting for an answer he summoned his power and caused the room to go entirely dark.

Rowen's eyes widened in anticipation. This reminded him of Cale, but it seemed more dark, more cold. And he wasn't exactly sure why. Was Leokoni a true demon, meaning created as a demon, and not a human that was turned into a demon? It seemed to be the only true answer he could think of, as nothing else made sense right now.

Suddenly, Leokoni stretched his arms apart, and at the same time, Rowen's chains jerked his limbs outward, stretching them far apart while at the same time sending electrical currents through his body. Rowen tried to hold back his screams, but it was no good. They filled the air, echoing off the walls.

"Ah," Leokoni said with a smile as he cupped one ear, "music to my ears."

The chained spirit stared at his tormented son. Cracked lips parted painfully as he whispered, "R..Ro..Rowen.."

Leokoni glanced toward him. "It's no use. He's too much in pain to even notice you anymore."

"You are a cruel bastard!" the spirit spat angrily.

Leokoni chuckled. "So they say, but do you think I care what name you call me?"

Rowen's voice continued to scream in protest to the agony he was enduring. But there seemed to be no end to what he was going through. His kanji began to flash on and off several times, before it suddenly died altogether, and he suddenly became limp.

Sage gasped suddenly as he got a terrible pain within his forehead. He held a hand to his head and nearly fell off the dragon, had Ryo not caught him in time. He felt cold and weak and could barely hold himself up. He could vaguely feel someone supporting him, but he couldn't tell who.

Ryo was worried. Sage's skin felt cold to the touch, but why? He held Sage the best he could and looked at Star. "Think we'll land soon?"

Star looked out over the ocean, then at the dragon's head. For a moment she didn't answer Ryo as she wasn't sure at the moment. Finally she looked back at him. "Hopefully soon," she replied. She didn't admit it, but she would feel much better once they got Rowen back. She was beginning to love the blue haired genius. Not for his brains, though, but for his sweet personality. She felt so bad for him she wanted to cry right then and there. Tears threatened the corners of her eyes as she felt the urge to, but she held them back. Crying wouldn't help get him back. They had to take action.

Kento glanced toward Sage, worried about him. He said nothing, trusting Ryo to be able to handle the situation. For the time being he kept his thoughts focused on the recent events, and wondering how they would defeat this demon master and his lackey. Mia hadn't been able to find any weak points to the main demon. As far as they knew the little demon hated light. Wait, light…. He quickly glanced at Sage and frowned more as the thought suddenly hit him.

"Ryo!"

Ryo glanced at him, wondering what was on his mind. "What's up, Kento?"

"Ryo, don't you think it's just a little weird for Sage to suddenly become ill?"

Ryo blinked, but said nothing as he waited for Kento to go on. By now everyone else was listening too, wondering what Kento was saying.

"I mean think about it," Kento continued. "Rowen gets attacked by a demon who can't stand the light. Rowen and Sage are best friends. Sage is the Ronin of Light. Put two and two together, man."

"Wait," Cye interrupted, "are you saying that somehow, Sage is being attacked too, to keep him out of the way of rescuing Rowen?"

"Yep," Kento said with a nod of his head.

Mia frowned deeply. Now she was worried more than ever. She knew they had to get Sage well again in order to fight this demon master. Otherwise, they could lose Rowen forever. And she did not want that. She cared about Rowen just like she cared for all of them. He had helped her out so many times, especially with electronics and with her tires whenever they needed changing. And if she ever had trouble solving something, he was right there to help her. She wasn't letting anyone stop them from getting him back. She quickly looked at the others. "We need to get Sage the proper help, and I know just who can help us."

"Who?" Ryo asked her.

Mia didn't reply to him. Instead, she looked at Star. "Tell Firestorm to head northeast toward the Himalayan Mountains."

Star nodded and spoke briefly to the dragon. The dragon made no reply, but instead shifted her weight and took off toward the direction as requested.

Ryo continued to hold Sage, aware now that the blond Ronin was running a high fever. A frown of worry came to his face. Would Sage die before they could rescue Rowen? Who did Mia know could help him? He didn't know the answers, but he hoped to know soon. But for now all he could do was pray that Sage would make it. They needed him. Without him, their entire team would fall apart.


	7. Chapter 7

****

The Arising

Chapter 7.

It was Kento's turn now. Ryo was feeling exhausted, having watched Rowen and Sage for six hours straight. Kento sat down on the same chair that Ryo had sat in, and kept his gameboy advance in his hands, while glancing toward his fellow Ronins every few minutes. No evil scum was getting in here while he was guarding. So far neither Rowen nor Sage had awakened, and nobody thought they would for the rest of the night. They needed all the rest they could get, and hopefully by tomorrow they would be fully healed. 

There were a few times when Sage turned over in his sleep, and Kento thought he would wake up, but the bearer of Halo slept on. So far Rowen remained in the same position he had been put in when he had been placed in his bed earlier. 

About six hours later, Cye took his turn, allowing Kento to head to bed. Like Kento's watch, Cye didn't encounter any opposition, and things were relatively peaceful. And he was hoping they would stay that way. At the moment he was the only one awake within the house. When his turn was over, he would allow White Blaze to guard the two. He sighed deeply. All of this stress was going to make them all go crazy, especially Rowen.

Sage's eyes began fluttering and his hand clenched a bit as a soft moan escaped through his lips. Cye heard it clearly though and sat up a bit, closely watching him. For a moment Sage didn't move at all, and Cye believed he fell asleep once again. Then Sage moved again. 

"Sage?" 

Sage opened his eyes and looked toward him. The first thing he asked was, "How's Rowen?"

Cye smiled gently. "Rowen's asleep in his bed. He'll be all right, thanks to you."

Sage nodded and sat up a bit, putting a hand to his head. There was still some cobwebs in it, and he needed time to clear it. So far it seemed as if that evil demon hadn't attacked, and Rowen was resting peacefully. He looked toward Cye again. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"At least a half day," Cye replied. 

Sage's eyes widened with surprise. "That long? I've never slept that long!"

"I know," Cye agreed. "But you needed it, and so does Rowen. I don't expect him to wake up before this night's over."

Sage turned his head and looked over at the clock. It was now 1:30 in the morning. Everyone was already sleeping now. He felt wide awake though. Cye looked like he was ready to drop at any moment now.

"Cye, why don't you go ahead and go to bed?" Sage suggested. "I feel a lot better now, and I can watch Rowen."

"Are you sure?" Cye asked. "I was going to have White Blaze…"

"No, I'm sure," Sage replied firmly.

Cye hesitated, then with a reluctant nod of his head, stood up, and left the room.

Sage threw back his blanket and climbed off his bed. He needed to check on Rowen as his concern would not go away for him. He walked over to his friend's bed and gently pulled the cover away from Rowen's face. Rowen appeared to be sleeping peacefully. He couldn't be sure though. He placed his hand on Rowen's forehead and concentrated. For a few minutes he could feel nothing, but then he noticed that Rowen was halfway toward a peaceful sleep, while the other half was being pulled toward a nightmare of some kind.. Sage bit his lip. He did not like this one bit.. Rowen wasn't exactly strong at the moment, and it was strongly possible that he would plunge into a horrific nightmare. Sage knew he had to do something soon. 

He stood there for several moments, trying to think. He had to be careful of what choice he made to save Rowen from this, because if he did the wrong thing, Rowen could be in immortal danger. There was one chance he had, but it was a high risk, and he couldn't do it without the other Ronins. He didn't want to leave Rowen though, so he hoped the other Ronins weren't in a deep sleep. 

He concentrated as hard as he could. For a moment he was unaware of the link being opened, until he heard a half groggy voice speaking through his mind. 

__

'Sage, what's wrong?' It was Ryo.

__

'It's Rowen.. He's fighting against an oncoming nightmare.. I need your help and the others' help to pull him away from it, before something happens."

"Alright, I'm heading to your room now. I see Kento and Cye coming down the hall."

"Yeah, we heard everything. What's the deal though? Do you think it's that new bad guy that's been attacking us?'

'We don't know, Cye, but I'm willing to bet it is,' Sage said.

'He's messing with the wrong person then!'

'Right, Kento.. Okay, Sage, we're here now.'

Ryo pushed the door opened and walked into the bedroom with Cye and Kento. The three of them joined Sage around Rowen's bed. 

Already knowing what they had to do, the four Ronins stood with their arms extended, reaching out toward Rowen and each one gently grasping a limb. At this point the bearer of Strata began thrashing about, causing his bed to shake. 

This commotion caused Mia to awaken down the hall and she rushed right where she heard the noise coming from. Stepping into the room, she witnessed them getting ready to perform what looked like a type of ceremony.

"What in the world is going on here?" she asked.

"Rowen's in trouble," Cye told her..

"Shh!" Sage ordered.. "Let's hurry and do this!"

Mia grew quiet as she watched them. She had no idea why this was happening, or for what reason, but she knew Rowen's suffering had to end and soon.. 

Ryo, Sage, Kento, and Cye were now glowing their respective armor's colors. Their concentration began to increase…

Someone else came into the room. It was Star. She had been in a deep sleep when she felt something extraordinary happening. She wasn't sure what was going on, but one look from Mia told her it was best to remain silent, and allow the Ronins to solve this problem. 

Their kanjis began to shine on their foreheads, with each mind and soul reaching out to Rowen, it didn't take long for their kanjis to glow even more brilliantly, more than they ever done so before. At the same time Mia noticed that the kanji of hope was burning on Star's forehead. She put a hand to her mouth, but didn't dare to say anything for fearing of breaking the Ronins' concentration. 

Star herself did not seem to noticed this; she continued to watch Rowen, hoping whatever the Ronins were doing would save him. 

Sage grit his teeth as he felt his power go into Rowen's subconscious mind. Soon enough the other Ronins' powers arrived. Deep within the chasm, they were able to see Rowen's memories, his thoughts on his family and friends, of past events, and on the other side, the nightmare that was slowly creeping about and spreading forward, overtaking the good memories. They could hear crying and begging for mercy. The sound of evil laughter filled the air, and cruel whispering, '_You're worthless, you're nothing to your friends, they hate you, you're not loved,' _was heard repeating itself over and over again within Rowen's mind. Outside in the real world, Rowen's body continued to thrash about. The Ronins gripped him tighter, doing their best to hold him down. None of this was easy as Rowen could be quite strong when he wasn't thinking about it. 

Again and again they continued to pour their kanjis out.. Soon whispers came, but it was their own voices that filled Rowen's mind. 

__

"Virtue." 

"Trust." 

"Justice." 

"Wisdom." 

"Hope."

Five, not four bursts of light struck out at the dark force. Loud screams were heard as each burst of light broke into the shadow, breaking it up and sending it retreating. 

Rowen's thrashing began to die down slowly, before stopping altogether.

Sage wanted to make sure the dark force was gone entirely, before letting go. He did a quick scan with his Second Sight, viewing everything over in Rowen's mind. All he could see were Rowen's memories on his friends, his home, the fight with Talpa.. Memories that would never take Rowen down with them. These were the memories that had to say. The Bearer of Halo sighed in relief, and then one by one the Ronins began to leave Rowen's mind.

Mia hurried over to them. "Is he okay now?"

Sage collapsed into a chair, feeling exhausted. "He's fine now."

"What I don't understand," Cye said as he looked back at Rowen, "is who sent that shadowy figure to Rowen's mind?"

"We don't know, Cye," Ryo said as he shook his head. "I'm confused about something else.. There were suppose to be only four kinds of virtuous kanjis. But there was a fifth one, and it wasn't Rowen's."

"So then who was it?" Kento asked.

Mia looked over at Star who was now by Rowen's bedside. She thought about telling them what she had seen, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to do so. 

It was then that the Ronins noticed Star standing by Rowen's bedside. When had she come in? 

Mia approached them. "Are you sure Rowen is going to be all right?"

"I hope so," Sage said as he stood up. "I don't know why that evil jerk is after him, or who or what he even is, but this has to stop. I'm not sure Rowen can take much more of this."

"So why are we standing around like ducks?" Kento demanded. "We should be out there stopping this jerk!"

Ryo rubbed his head, but he had to agree with Kento. He wasn't sure how much longer he could stand there himself, watching as Rowen suffered and fought against whoever was after him. As far as they knew this enemy, the main one, gave no name, and his face had never been seen.. It was as if he were a dark shadow. How was that possible though? Was this an evil spirit? It couldn't have been a ghost, right? Right?

The shadowy figure stood far out in the backyard of the manor, floating silently in mid-air, watching Ryo through the window. So, this Ronin was beginning to believe he was a ghost. What a lot of laughs. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage and fool them all.

Just then he felt something coming from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and his lips curled into a snarl. From twenty miles away, he could see the huge wings of a gigantic black dragon coming toward him. He did not need the irritation of encountering a dragon at the moment. He had other things on his mind at the moment. In a blink of an eye he vanished, along with his plans. 


	8. Chapter 8

****

The Arising

Chapter 8.

Morning had come all too quickly for the others. Most of them were all still too tired to barely even move. Mia had cooked breakfast for everyone, but the only ones who really seemed interested in eating were Kento and Rowen. Everyone else was practically falling asleep at the table.

In fact Ryo actually did fall asleep and if White Blaze hadn't moved him, he would have had a sticky face and sticky hair from the syrup on his pancakes. He let out a groan and was tempted to just get up from his chair and walk right up the stairs to his room and go back to bed. But he forced himself to stay awake and eat his meal.

Mia looked at Star, hoping that by some conversation the others would wake up, and they could start their day, hopefully without a battle by the new evil guy, whoever he was. "Is your friend still asleep?" she asked. 

Star nodded her head as she chewed through some sausages. "Yeah," she said quietly. "She's a late sleeper."

Kento looked at her. "How late of a sleeper?" he asked as he glanced at Rowen.

"There are times when she doesn't wake up until around 1:00 or 2.00 p.m." Star replied as she took another bite of her breakfast.

"Sounds like Rowen," Cye said.

"Give me a break, Cye," Rowen pouted. "I've been getting up earlier than that!"

"Yeah, I'll admit you have been," Cye said with a small smile.

Sage was pretty much quiet. He was thinking there was something that Star was hiding, but he wasn't sure what. 

After breakfast was over, everyone was more wide awake now. Ryo and Cye helped clear off the table, Sage washed the dishes, Kento dried them, and Rowen put them away. Star wanted to help too, so she helped Mia put the extra food away.

Once all of that was done, they all filed into the living room to relax in there. It was then Rowen looked at the others. "You guys looked pretty beat at breakfast," he said. "Anything happen?"

"Yeah, a lot," Kento said as he stretched. 

"Such as?"

"Such as you being attacked last night," Sage said with a grimace. 

Rowen's eyes widen and he stood up. "What?"

Cye blinked at him. "You don't remember do you?"

"All I remember was being really tired all of the sudden."

"Someone was trying to hurt you through your dreams last night," Sage said. "We had to enter our energies into your subconscious and battle it."

"Geeze," Rowen said as he shook his head in disbelief. 

"Although there is one thing I don't get," Ryo said. "There were only four of us there, but there was a new presence there as well, helping us defeat the shadow. And I know it wasn't anyone we knew."

"Yeah," Sage nodded in agreement. "I'm still trying to figure that one out myself."

Mia glanced at Star out of the corner of her eyes. She was wondering whether to say anything or not. Did Star even realize what she had done last night? She wasn't sure about that, but one thing she did know, Star may be part of the new Ronins they had been searching for. And if that was true, then Firestorm could be the other one. 

After the kitchen was cleaned, everyone filed back into the living room. Just as everyone was about to sit down, Ryo suddenly spoke up. "Since we don't know much about this new enemy of ours, we are going to train harder than ever. Especially you, Rowen. You need more protection than ever."

Rowen nodded his head in agreement. He knew Ryo was right, even though he did not want to agree with it. Ever since he could remember, he had been abused by his father, too afraid to stand up and face him. And why though? Was it because he knew he could kill his father? Was it because he was afraid of him? Because he was afraid of what his father might do to his friends if he stood up? He didn't know. All he knew was that his life didn't seem fair at all, but things like this just made one stronger, and he would never allow himself to be overcome by the events that had taken place. And he would never ever abuse his children. In fact he wouldn't even lay a finger on them.

"Wait, what about Rachel?" Mia suddenly asked.

"What about her?" Kento asked dumbly.

"She means to tell her what's been happening," Sage said.

"No," Rowen said quickly as he shook his head. "I don't want her involved in this."

"But, Rowen," Cye said. 

"No!" Rowen said firmly. "It's best she stays out of this. I don't want to have to worry about her worrying about me, and trying to protect me from this monster. I'm afraid of loosing her."

Everyone nodded as they understood. So it was agreed. Rowen's mother would not know of this. Once it was all settled, they all went outside and began to train. And was it tough! Ryo was intent on making them learn all of what they could. It was hard work, but in the end it would pay off as training always does. The only difference was, the attacks and defense were more quick and more severe. They did not stop to rest, they gave no mercy to each other. If they wanted to defeat this demonic person they would have to through with this.

Mia stayed inside while they practiced, working on decoding that poem. She was now more certain than ever about Star and Firestorm, but how could she prove it? For a while she sat there, typing in various words and hitting enter over and over. Nothing seemed to match at all. She heard footsteps then, and turned her head when she heard a voice.

"What are you doing?" Firestorm asked as she stared sleepily toward the computer screen.

Mia turned back toward the monitor. "Trying to figure out this poem my grandfather had hidden in his secret files."

"What kind of poem?" Firestorm asked, now suddenly more awake as she walked further into the room.

Mia showed her, giving the younger girl enough room to stand there and read. After reading, she shook her head. "You got me. I can make poems up, but half the time I never understand what they say."

Mia nodded. "I'm the opposite way. But I can't understand why I can't decode this one. It makes no sense to me."

"Well, is there a word you haven't tried yet?" 

"I'm pretty sure there wasn't," Mia said with a shake of her head. She was back to typing again. "I'm just worried about this whole thing. With some shadowy creature, or demon, whatever it's called, being after Rowen, with the search of the two new Ronins.."

Firestorm didn't seem to hear her anymore though. She was staring straight ahead, whispering softly to herself. "Eyes of evil are everywhere, sorrow shall descend, four will fight for another's life. Two more shall come to add their aid. Forces shall advance from either side, this battle will truly be undecided. Until one steps forward to make a way to the path for all of their fates."

Mia's eyes widened with surprise. She called Firestorm by her name several times, but the girl didn't answer. Finally, Mia tapped her on the shoulder. 

Firestorm jerked a bit, then looked up at her. "I'm sorry. You were saying?"

"You were saying a poem," Mia said. She wondered if she remembered any of it. Firestorm nodded her head. 

"Yeah, that happens a lot," she said. "Though I have no idea what it means."

"Hrm," Mia said. She suddenly had an impulse. She turned back to the computer and began to type away again. This time she put in shadowy demonic rising into the key code and hit enter. The screen blinked once, then a new window appeared with a data transfer sequence. 'Processing. Please wait. This may take a few minutes.' 

Mia crossed her fingers hopefully, whispering over and over. "Please work, please!"

Firestorm watched her. She didn't cross her fingers, but she was hoping that it would work as well. 

Finally after about four minutes of waiting, the page blinked again, and a new page appeared. 'Access granted."

"Whoohoo!" Firestorm and Mia cheered with a quick hug. The two quickly let go as the next page appeared. Now it was time to find out all they could to help the Ronins defeat this new enemy. 

About twenty minutes later, Ryo and the other Ronins all turned their heads when Mia came flying out the door with Firestorm right behind her. Their faces looked ecstatic especially Mia's. 

"Whoa, Mia, what's going on?" Ryo asked her as he sheathed his two blades. 

"We've found out who the new enemy is!" Mia cried excitedly as she waved a copy of a freshly printed document. 

"Really?" Cye said as they came toward her.

Sage took the document from her and began to read it. It was hard to keep hold of the paper properly while he was in his armor, so he shed back to his subarmor. He read it carefully as everyone crowded around him. "Leokoni, the Deceiver, the tormentor, the possessor first appeared in the late 1200s during the siege of the Atkunutsam army forces. Many people feared for their lives as innocents were killed for many days. Priests were summoned from many different parts of the country to rebuke this monster, and then one day he was finally put to rest. But there would come a time when he would return again to attack the descendant of the one that truly vanquished him." 

"Whoa, intense," Ryo said.

"So," Cye said, "that's this demon's name? Where does he actually come from?"

Sage shook his head. "It doesn't say." 

Rowen was frowning. So this monster was after him because of an ancestor of his? Who was this ancestor which defeated him? And how did they defeat him? There was so much he wanted to learn, so much he was afraid to learn, and so much he would need to learn. He knew whatever would happen would not be easy, but he would face it the best he could with his friends' help and no matter what would happen in the end he would overcome it. 


	9. Chapter 9

****

The Arising

Chapter 9.

****

Leokoni was fuming in his throne. So they knew of his existence and of why he was after the descendant of the one who had defeated him from centuries ago. But it didn't matter. He had his plans all figured out, and in due time he would carry them out to the fullest. Rowen was as good as his, and the other Ronins would soon be dead. As for the new Ronins who were to come to help them, well, they would meet their match too. And he did not care what he had to do to kill all of them, just as long as the one who had ruined his plans would pay through Rowen.

He glanced around the room, now noticing just how silent it was. He growled in annoyance. Damn that pathetic little demon worker of his. He had been told to stay put where he was, but now he was gone. Perhaps a little burning on his feet would be a subtle punishment for him. His lips curled into a smile as he rose from his throne. 

He hovered in the air for a few seconds before settling gently on the ground. He immediately began to walk away from his throne and left the throne room. He was in the deep chasm hall of his castle now. If you could call an underground tavern a castle. There were about thirty large hallways, each one splitting off into a different section, and then to a room of great proportion and size. Some of the rooms were as large as 50x50 wide. Each room had a specific order it was designed for. For example one room could be used as a torture room, another could be used to rest, still another could be used to practice the dark arts. 

Leokoni traveled quickly throughout the halls, passing many of these rooms, but checking into the rooms as he passed by. So far Yata was not in any of them. 

He let out a growl followed by a curse. Damn him, he thought. When I find him I'll wring his scrawny neck! 

But the search proved futile. He wasn't in the castle anywhere. Leokoni couldn't have been more than furious as his scream of rage rang throughout. People who walked above on the ground stared at the ground curiously as it slightly trembled beneath them. 

Hidden in the distance between two Cherry trees, Yata kept himself as still as he could. He knew better than to move even one muscle. His nostrils flared, but not from anger. It was fear. Fear that his master would catch him. Under normal circumstances he did not disobey him, but this time he could not help it. He was upset he had not completed his mission the first time he had been sent out to carry it, and so he had wanted to reimburse himself again. Even if it meant not coming when his master screamed his name.

He held his breath until he was certain Leokoni was gone, then he unfurled his wings from his back and lifted himself into the sky, rising higher and higher until he was gone from sight. 

For awhile he flew through the clouds, his mind set on the one place he was going to. He would get the boy and bring him back to his master, and then his master would be pleased with him, perhaps even reward him. Yes, he could see it now. Gold, a pat on the back, and made a partner to him instead of a lowly servant. Things would finally look up for him. 

He landed on the thick branch of a Cedar tree and peered in through the living room window. He could see all of them, some sitting, others standing, but they were all together, and all were talking rapidly, as if they had to get their conversation over with quickly. He decided to listen to what they were saying and allowed his ears to focus on them properly.

"So, all we have to do is find out where he's hiding and take him out with the Inferno, right?" Ryo was saying to Mia. 

For the past hour or so, they had been discussing tactics and resolutions to find and defeat their newest enemy. Just like their battle with Talpa, they knew they had to be careful when dealing with an enemy they knew so little about. Mia's information was the only source they had at the time. So far they knew their ordinary armors' and weapons' powers would not stand alone against him, but when combined to create the Inferno, it would cause massive destruction against Leokoni. 

Mia nodded her head as she gave them all a serious look. The situation was growing more and more intense at the moment, and they had little time to waste. Leokoni could attack again at anytime. "Yes," she answered. "Though finding him won't be easy. I imagine his hideout could be under our very noses."

Yata's nose twitched. How right she was. It was funny how humans were sometimes. They always saw with their eyes, never with their eyes, noses, or ears, until they became blind or deaf. Or if they had lost their sense of smell, which in his opinion was quite often as there had been many times he had seen a human looking for something right under their nose and not been able to find it.

"The question is," Sage asked, "where exactly under our noses?" He frowned deeply as he cast Rowen a glance. Rowen saw his look of concern, but did not say anything. Sage was trying to think of every possible place Leokoni might have been hiding, but so far even he could think of nothing. This was getting to be more and more difficult with each passing moment. 

Cye up to this time had been very quiet, but now he finally spoke as he wondered something. "Is there any other information which could tell us about where he was hiding the last time?"

Mia shook her head. "Unfortunately no. I searched all the data I could about him. Any additional information was lost over the years, or became folklore that wasn't to be trusted."

"Man, that's a major bummer," Kento said as he crossed his arms. He didn't like this at all. He already knew they were wasting time just discussing things, but what choice did they have? There was no way of finding this Leokoni, unless he came to them first, and he would rather much go to him and fight, especially if it meant defeating him once and for all.

Suddenly Yata could wait no more. He flapped his wings and suddenly crashed through the living room, landing in front of them and tackling Rowen to the floor. Rowen let out a shout of surprise and pain, trying to get to the demon off him.

From behind White Blaze attacked Yata, sinking his teeth into leathery skin, but getting jolts of painful electrifying pulses through his jaws. He roared angrily, forced to let go as the other Ronin Warriors quickly got into their subarmors. Immediately Ryo threw his arms around Yata's neck and threw him off Rowen, sending him flying into one wall. Several framed photos came crashing down to the floor, a few of them shattering and covering the floor with tiny shards of glass.

Yata hissed at Ryo and lunged at him, knocking the Ronin out of the way, before leaping back at Rowen. Sage was there in defense however, and he gave one good strong kick at the demon's stomach, sending him sprawling to the floor in pain.

Once again Yata jumped to his feet. He was determined to get Rowen and bring him back to his master, but the Ronins continued to stand in his way. Naturally, the light bothered his eyes, but he didn't care at this point. He was desperate to do this, even if it meant harming himself over it.

Kento stood in his way this time, and he packed a mean punch right to the demon's mouth. But he suddenly wished he hadn't. Out of all the places on his body, his mouth was the hardest part. Kento's hand stung like fire, but he wasn't about to quit and neglect his friends while they battled furiously.

Yata leapt to his feet, hissing and spitting acid at them. The acid from his mouth burned holes in the floor, and Ryo and Cye had to jump back to avoid falling into it. They stood in defense mode again, each one ready to make a single jump to keep this small, muscular demon from attacking their friend.

Rowen was gasping for air, rubbing his throat. He looked up at his attacker, his blue eyes narrowed. Then he grasped his armor orb and suddenly got into his subarmor. 

Firestorm and Star were watching and desperately wanting to help. Neither were aware they were glowing, and neither were aware of the kanjis that had suddenly flared to life on their foreheads. However the Ronin Warriors and Mia were.

"They're the new Ronins!" Rowen gasped, forgetting about his predicament. 

Firestorm raised an eyebrow. But before she could say anything, Yata had suddenly knocked her down in his haste to get to Rowen.

"Rowen!" Ryo shouted as he leapt off the wall. He tucked down into a ball, flying toward the demon, ready to kick him down. Yata ducked, and Ryo ended up crashing right into Rowen. Both tumbled down to the floor in a tangle.

Sage knew this situation was getting hopeless. This small demon seemed to have gotten stronger somehow. How he knew exactly he wasn't sure. He looked toward the two girls. "Quick! Take those armor balls you have and concentrate! You need to get in subarmor!"

Firestorm and Star gawked at one another. What was he talking about? 

Then suddenly they remembered. Each of them had found a kanji ball, either in her hand, or in the forest. So that's what those things were. But how did Sage know? Were they really the new Ronins?

There was no time to ponder that. Ryo and Rowen had gotten themselves up, and both were ready to fight. The archer had just about had it with all the abuse and the attacks that he could take. Anger was rising within him, his face was turning red, his kanji began to glow with a brilliant blue light, his body seemed to take that light and add to it, casting an eerie glowing color that didn't seem natural even for him.

Yata cursed at him, shielding his eyes just a bit. He could still see, even if they were burning him. "Foolish Ronin. Do you really think you can withstand me, or my master? You're better off surrendering to me!"

"I'll never go with you!" Rowen said angrily.

Yata sneered, then smirked. "We'll see about that." He began to flap his wings as fast and as hard as he could. Winds began to accumulate, blowing them all to different parts of the room. White Blaze roared in anger and tried to fight against it, but even he was no match for this great wind. Star tried to grab onto something but ended up being blown into Sage, while Ryo grabbed Kento to keep him from being blown out the window.

Mia hung onto the banister, and Firestorm hung onto Mia, each one flying in the wind. Cye clutched onto the windowsills the best he could, his knuckles turning white with every strain as his legs flew in the air, trying his best not to get pulled off. There was a scream, a sudden blackness, and then after several minutes everything was still.

When the winds had finally stopped, and the lights were back on, everything was an utter mess. The furniture was toppled over, the floor had several holes in them, the walls were scratched up, and the windows were all broken. In the midst of it all, Ryo, Kento, Cye, Sage, Mia, Star, Firestorm, and White Blaze were all shakily getting to their feet. Each of them looked around in horror. But it wasn't the house that concerned them. Rowen was gone. 


	10. Chapter 10

****

The Arising

Chapter 10.

"Rowen!" Sage screamed as horror registered on his face. He nearly jumped through the living room window, but Kento held him back in strong arms. The Warrior of Wisdom struggled and kicked to get free, but Kento's grip was just too strong for him. He slumped against him, breathing hard, sweat pouring down his face, his hair in shambles as he kept his head bowed. 

Ryo was furious and he was blaming himself for this. If only he had led all of them outside when he had had the chance, then he could have called forth their armors and defeated the little demon. Now because of his overconfidence Rowen was gone. What were they to do? It was simple and the answer became firm within his head as he looked up, narrowing his eyes into slits. They had to find and rescue Rowen. He knew they would have a difficult time finding him though as he could be held anywhere now. But still they had to try.

He raised his head and looked directly at the others. "We have to find Rowen and we have to find him now. There isn't time to waste."

"But we don't know where to start looking," Star said with a frown.

Sage could hear them and he knew he had to surmount his own broken self to help out. Rowen was his best friend and he was counting on him. If they could just get some lead on the demon's hideout, then they would at least have a better chance. Liberating him would be difficult, but they would go to any lengths to save him. 

He could remember how he and Rowen had met many years ago when Sage and his family had moved to Toyama from Tokyo. Rowen, then five years old, and with both parents, had made it a point to become Sage's friend even if Sage had treated him coldly. However as the years went past, Sage grew closer and closer to the determined little blue haired boy. But then when they had both turned eight, Rowen and his parents had divorced, his mother had taken off, and Rowen had been forced to move to Bronx, New York with his father. They had not seen each other for many years until Talpa first attacked. Now with even a few more years that had passed by, Sage felt as if Rowen was the brother he had never had. He was determined more than anyone else in the room to get him back and he would take whatever means there were. Even if it meant going beyond his will, though he knew even that would be disastrous. 

"We have to start looking anywhere," he finally said in a firm voice. He pushed himself away from Kento, but he could feel the Hardrock bearer's gaze on him, steadily watching him in case he freaked out again. "It's better to start at one place than at nowhere at all," he finished.

Mia nodded in agreement. More and more time was passing and so far none of them had even mentioned for them to go already. Rowen could be getting tortured now because of Leokoni's hatred and need for revenge. If they were going to rescue him they had to do it now.

"Um," Firestorm suddenly spoke up, causing everyone to look her way. She had been mostly silent and they had almost forgotten she was there. "I can find this demon."

They blinked at her. Cye came closer to her and stared into her eyes, wanting to know how she possibly could when none of them seemed to know where he was. If she could actually find him that would be wonderful, but how earth would she do that? Did she know this demon lord? It seemed to be the only explanation there was.

"How?" Cye wanted to know as he calmly waited for her answer.

Firestorm looked down, fear registering on her face. For so long she had hid the terrible secret within her, telling only her friend Star, making her swear on everything she had that she would not tell a soul. It wasn't easy keeping it hidden from so many people, especially when the transformation could happen when she was extremely infuriated without her control over it. But as she had spoken up, she knew she had no choice but to tell them all the truth. She only hoped they could take it better than she hoped. 

"I.. I'm part dragon," she said, her voice a little low. 

"Say what?" Ryo asked in shock. He dug out his right ear furiously with a finger, then looked at her again. "Mind repeating that?"

"You heard me," Firestorm replied, her voice cracking a little. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. The four Ronins, Mia, and White Blaze continued to stare at her. The Ronins and Mia were staring at her in shock, but White Blaze stared calmly as if he had known all along. Star stood beside her, offering her support. "My father is known as a Dragonite. What that is, it's a dragon who transform into a human and interacts with them. He met my mother, they fell in love, and well of course I was born about fourteen months later. Yes, a human who is impregnated by a Dragonite carries their fetus for fourteen months. Moving on. Because I have my father's blood in me I can transform into a dragon. And I can smell things normal humans cannot."

Kento held up his hands, shaking them some. He wasn't sure if he believed her or not; the whole thing just seemed too farfetched if you asked him. "Wait, how do we know if you're telling us the truth or not?"

Firestorm's eyes narrowed. She hated when people didn't believe her about something. Time and time again she would either have to prove herself, or snap off to them that she didn't care if they did or didn't. Because of who she was, her temper was great and often out of control. She took a deep breath and counted to ten slowly forward and backward. "I can prove it."

Sage nodded. "That would be wise."

So they all went outside and to the biggest part of the yard. Together they waited for Firestorm to prove of what she was. For a long time everything was still, even the leaves on the trees. No sound came from anywhere as she prepared herself. It was like everything was waiting for her to begin.

Suddenly she began to glow a purplish color, the sky turned black as if a fierce storm was coming, the kanji of honor glowed brilliantly in her forehead. All of them stared wide eyed. Only Star and White Blaze seemed to be calm during this. Then suddenly, she transformed.

Before their very eyes stood a forty foot tall dragon. Its scales were black, the eyes the same color of silver blue. The wing span was the same length as the body which was about eighty feet long and thirty feet wide, the tail was thick and massive with six large spikes at the tip, three on either side, there were two spikes above her nostrils, the outer one being slightly larger than the inner one, there were smaller spikes along her forehead, and huge spikes going down her neck to her back. 

Their mouths dropped. So she had been telling the truth. This was almost too much to bear, and yet it was quite fascinating at the same time. Just imagine they had a dragon on their side. That was really something, and it would help them out a lot. Now it was time to find Rowen and get him back.

Rowen's eyes fluttered several times, his eyebrows wrinkled, and a frown came to his lips as his body moved slightly. Instantly, pain shot through his ribs and he gave a little yelp, before his eyes were forced to open and behold his surroundings. He was lying just inches above the stone floor of a dirty cell, his arms and legs had been stretched painfully to either side as he was on his back. It was as if he had been chained to the air itself, for there was nothing underneath his body but just the floor and it was about six inches away. He tried to look around, but he could only look so far without causing pain to his neck and torso.

How long had he been here? he wondered. He could barely remember anything except the battle he and his friends had with the small demon Yata. He realized what must have happened. Yata had finally captured him for his master. He was certain his friends were looking for him, but he wasn't sure if they'd be able to find him. They had been trying to find out all they could about the demon master only to keep coming to a dead end. And frankly even he had no clue where he was, how close or how far he was from his friends. Could he be miles away, or right before their eyes? It was hard saying, but he was certain he'd soon discover the answer. 

He tried shifting again to become comfortable and soon cried out in pain. His left side burned like fire and he soon discovered the reason why. There was a long thin gash running from under his breast to his hip. Although it did not require stitches, it still bled, dripping onto the floor and collecting into a puddle underneath him. Funny, he hadn't noticed the blood before. Just how had he gotten it?

From the last attack, Rowen concluded to himself. It was the best explanation he could give himself. Now that he knew about it, it was burning like fire and it hurt worse when he moved the slightest way. 

He let out a sigh. This was ridiculous. What were they planning? 

Suddenly, there was a twinkling before his eyes and he stared at the spot in front of him, narrowing his eyes as it grew brighter and bigger, forming into the shape of a humanoid. A tall man appeared before him, his thin mouth twisting into a cold satisfied smile. His hair was ebony and thick against the back of his skull, trailing downward toward the middle of his back. His skin was a dark tanned color and his eyes were red and piercing. 

Rowen blinked at him in confusion as he struggled to figure whether or not he knew this demon. Wait, was this the same demon master that had been defeated by his ancestor so many years before? It had to have been.

"So, we meet at last, Rowen of the Strata," the demon master said.

Rowen's eyes turned into cold slits. "What do you want with me?" he demanded. He wasn't sure why he was asking this as he already knew what the answer would be. It was quite redundant for evil beings to want the same thing from you.

"Revenge," came the reply. The demon master came closer to his left side and forced Rowen's head to turn to look up at him. Rowen grimaced and shut one eye against the pressure, trying to pull away, but it didn't do him any good. His neck was held firmly by the muscular hand, making it strenuous to even turn it somewhat. 

The demon master continued on as if this didn't faze him one bit. "Your ancestor defeated me a long time ago, and I promised to myself I would take out the first person who looked like him. And you, my dear boy, are the spitting image of Bunjiro Dayu." He let go of Rowen's neck and walked away from him a few feet before turning again, his long robes and cape swishing around him in a distinctive air of haughtiness. He narrowed his eyes at the boy before him. "You may be wondering why I didn't attack you before this."

"It never crossed my mind, to be frank," Rowen spat at him.

The demon master continued as if though he had not heard him. "The truth was, I did attack you. I've been attacking you all your life from the time your parents divorced and your father took you to the States."

Now Rowen's eyes opened so wide they looked ready to pop out through his sockets. He stared, horrified at Leokoni who wore a smirk on his cold face. The bearer of the Strata armor was certain he had gone completely white. For a long time silence reigned between the two of them. The air in the room seemed awfully thick, and Rowen wondered whether or not he was having difficulty in breathing. He wanted to close his eyes against what he was seeing, wanted to be deaf unto the words that he had heard with his own ears. 

Leokoni continued as if this was an ordinary conversation he were having. But it was much crueler and one filled with poison which nearly tore Rowen's heart into several pieces. "You see, your father _did _in fact love you very much, Rowen. I, however, saw his broken heart and spirit, and used that against him to get to you. Though when he foolishly got drunk and smoked that cigarette, causing the fire in your house, I lost my control on him. And I lost the power to torment you. But do you think I gave up? No. I planned a new way to get at you."

"And that would be?" Rowen pressed. A part of him was being sarcastic, but the other part needed to know just what was planned. It might save his life if he was lucky enough. 

"I'd like you to meet someone," Leokoni said. He snapped his fingers and a swirling mass of black energy appeared. At first it looked like a tiny black dot, but the more it grew the more it began to look like some kind of vortex. When it had grown about the size of a small closet, Rowen thought he could see a figure hanging from golden chains in it. He peered closely at it, trying to take it in so he could at least tell who it was. Though, he was having a difficult time doing so.

"Something wrong?" Leokoni asked with an amused smile. "Perhaps you need a better perception?" He snapped his fingers again and the vortex actually brought its prisoner closer to Rowen. He stared again, a frown on his face as he began to recognize several distinct features. The black hair, the piercing night blue sky eyes, the pale skin. Fear immediately became readable in his eyes and he about choked on it. "D..Dad?" he stuttered. 

The figure slowly looked up at him. Pain registered on Mr. Hashiba's face. There were several large deadly looking bruises on it, two under his eyes, near the jawbone, his right eye was swollen shut, his lips cracked and bleeding. "R.Rowen," he managed to spit out between painful gasps, before vomiting up blood.

Rowen looked on in horror. His heart pounded with fear, thumping wildly against his torso, making it difficult to even think straight. He wasn't sure if he was suppose to feel regretful for his father, or whether he should just shrug and not care what had happened to him. All he knew was that he wanted this nightmare to be over. 


	11. Chapter 11

****

The Arising 

Chapter 11.

The dragon swooped across the land, its belly nearly touching the ground as she sniffed along it. Various smells from decaying animals and plants, to shoes, and dead skin, to other smells which are undetected to human beings, came up to her nostrils. Behind her, a group of four boys wearing their subarmors, and two girls followed. 

So far she hadn't picked the trail up, and Ryo was getting worried. He knew he had to be patient, but there wasn't much time to waste. Who knew what that evil demon was doing to Rowen right now?

He wasn't sure if he wanted to think about that right now. Rowen had already been through so much his whole life, suffering each day, and without telling them for the longest time. When he finally had told, he begged them all not to do anything. But the question was why? Fear most likely. But now, Rowen was probably more frightened than he had ever been. 

They continued to travel onward, going deep into the woods now. White Blaze joined Sage's side, sensing the Ronin of Halo was particularly antsy at the moment. They couldn't have him going off suddenly and alone, so the tiger knew he would be the best one to stop him should he try anything.

Star watched as the dragon lowered herself to the ground and came closer as she sniffed around the ground several times. She then began digging at an area. Star felt a glimmer of hope. Whenever she did that, it meant something important was found. From behind her, Ryo, Kento, Sage, and Mia caught up, all wondering the same exact thing.

"Did she find him?" Sage demanded.

"I don't know," Star replied, then looked up at the dragon. "Firestorm, find anything?"

Firestorm continued to dig around the ground, then found what she was looking for. She snatched it up in her jaw and showed it to them. It was Rowen's jacket.

"He shouldn't be too far from here then, right?" Ryo asked as he took the jacket and held it in his hands. 

The dragon nodded her head in agreement, then took off to the sky again. They followed her, praying and hoping they would get to their destination as quickly as possible. They didn't care how long it would take them to find Rowen, and they did not care what obstacles they had to go through. They were even willing to give up their own lives just so he would be free. 

They came out of the woods after an hour and a half and found themselves on a deserted highway near the beach. The dragon sniffed about, trying to determine the direction of where the demon's and Rowen's scent had gone to. So far she couldn't smell anything at all. She snorted and looked down at Star and shook her gigantic head.

Star frowned and turned to the others, looking rather disappointed. "She's lost the trail."

"Now what?" Kento wanted to know. He could just imagine what horrible things were happening to Rowen right now. 

Ryo looked around the surrounding area. A gentle breeze came up from the ocean's currents and seagulls cried to one another above the waters. He wasn't sure what to do at this point. All he knew was that Rowen needed their help. Then he looked down at White Blaze. The tiger stared back at him as if waiting for a command. And then he knew. He nodded his head. "Okay, White Blaze, try to track down Rowen's trail."

The tiger sniffed the air, then sniffed along the ground, going in a circle a few times. As everyone waited they held their breaths in hope the tiger would find something. For about ten minutes White Blaze sniffed along the ground, coming closer to the water's edge. Then suddenly he began to paw at a certain spot in a furious manner. Sage got to him first and studied the area below him. There was a thin footprint there and it didn't look as if it belonged to a normal human being. Claw marks were showing just about the footprint, and one nail mark was showing on the back of the heel. 

Sage looked up at the others. "They were here," he said bluntly.

Mia was looking around with a frown. Where could they have possibly gone? she wondered. Then she looked over at the ocean as it suddenly hit her. "That demon must have flown him over the ocean."

"Great," Kento said bitterly. "So how do we get to him?"

"Well, I can swim across," Cye said.

"That doesn't help the rest of us," Ryo said with a frown.

"Ahem," Star cleared her throat, getting their attention. They raised their eyebrows at her, half expecting her to say something about renting a boat. Instead she pointed to Firestorm. "We can ride on her back, and she'll fly us across."

"Um, how high?" Cye asked. Given the choice between air or ground, he'd rather stay on ground as heights frightened him. He would only go atop high buildings when it was absolutely necessary and he tried to avoid it at all costs.

"Not real high," Star said thoughtfully, "but high enough to avoid the ocean's currents."

"It won't be that bad, Cye," Kento said.

"And we have no other choice," Ryo said.

"Right then," Sage said. He climbed up on Firestorm's back, and was followed by Ryo, Mia, Cye, Star, and then Kento, and finally White Blaze. The dragon turned her massive head to make sure everyone was on board and hanging on firmly. She couldn't afford to lose any passengers. With a small roar, she began to flap her wings against the air currents before catching the right one, and soon lifted up into the air. 

Leokoni smiled at Rowen calmly as the teenager continued to stare in horror at his father. He walked around to the front of his head and stared at his other prisoner for a while before lowering his eyes to meet Rowen's. "Is there something the matter?" he asked casually. "I'd have thought that you would love to see your father again."

Rowen spat at him. "You monster!"

Leokoni wiped it off with a disgusted look, then grabbed Rowen by the jaw and pressed his thumb into one corner of his mouth, stretching it outward just enough to add some pain to the boy. "Yes, I am a monster, Rowen of the Strata. But I will be more than just a monster if you dare spit at me with your pathetic saliva again."

Rowen stared at him as he winced. He could feel blood dripping down his mouth and he was sickened by it. Finally Leokoni released him and walked away from him so that he stood in between the two prisoners. "Now that I have the both of you, what shall I do with you?"

Rowen didn't answer as he tried to work his bonds free. He knew he didn't have a lot of time left before the demon master killed him. He continued to pray his friends would show up in time to save him, but as the minutes ticked by with each agonizing moment, he wasn't so sure they would make it there at all. 

Leokoni suddenly grinned a fiendish grin and clapped his hands loudly. "Let's have some fun shall we?" Without waiting for an answer he summoned his power and caused the room to go entirely dark. 

Rowen's eyes widened in anticipation. This reminded him of Cale, but it seemed more dark, more cold. And he wasn't exactly sure why. Was Leokoni a true demon, meaning created as a demon, and not a human that was turned into a demon? It seemed to be the only true answer he could think of, as nothing else made sense right now. 

Suddenly, Leokoni stretched his arms apart, and at the same time, Rowen's chains jerked his limbs outward, stretching them far apart while at the same time sending electrical currents through his body. Rowen tried to hold back his screams, but it was no good. They filled the air, echoing off the walls.

"Ah," Leokoni said with a smile as he cupped one ear, "music to my ears."

The chained spirit stared at his tormented son. Cracked lips parted painfully as he whispered, "R..Ro..Rowen.."

Leokoni glanced toward him. "It's no use. He's too much in pain to even notice you anymore."

"You are a cruel bastard!" the spirit spat angrily.

Leokoni chuckled. "So they say, but do you think I care what name you call me?" 

Rowen's voice continued to scream in protest to the agony he was enduring. But there seemed to be no end to what he was going through. His kanji began to flash on and off several times, before it suddenly died altogether, and he suddenly became limp.

Sage gasped suddenly as he got a terrible pain within his forehead. He held a hand to his head and nearly fell off the dragon, had Ryo not caught him in time. He felt cold and weak and could barely hold himself up. He could vaguely feel someone supporting him, but he couldn't tell who.

Ryo was worried. Sage's skin felt cold to the touch, but why? He held Sage the best he could and looked at Star. "Think we'll land soon?" 

Star looked out over the ocean, then at the dragon's head. For a moment she didn't answer Ryo as she wasn't sure at the moment. Finally she looked back at him. "Hopefully soon," she replied. She didn't admit it, but she would feel much better once they got Rowen back. She was beginning to love the blue haired genius. Not for his brains, though, but for his sweet personality. She felt so bad for him she wanted to cry right then and there. Tears threatened the corners of her eyes as she felt the urge to, but she held them back. Crying wouldn't help get him back. They had to take action.

Kento glanced toward Sage, worried about him. He said nothing, trusting Ryo to be able to handle the situation. For the time being he kept his thoughts focused on the recent events, and wondering how they would defeat this demon master and his lackey. Mia hadn't been able to find any weak points to the main demon. As far as they knew the little demon hated light. Wait, light…. He quickly glanced at Sage and frowned more as the thought suddenly hit him. 

"Ryo!"

Ryo glanced at him, wondering what was on his mind. "What's up, Kento?"

"Ryo, don't you think it's just a little weird for Sage to suddenly become ill?"

Ryo blinked, but said nothing as he waited for Kento to go on. By now everyone else was listening too, wondering what Kento was saying.

"I mean think about it," Kento continued. "Rowen gets attacked by a demon who can't stand the light. Rowen and Sage are best friends. Sage is the Ronin of Light. Put two and two together, man."

"Wait," Cye interrupted, "are you saying that somehow, Sage is being attacked too, to keep him out of the way of rescuing Rowen?"

"Yep," Kento said with a nod of his head.

Mia frowned deeply. Now she was worried more than ever. She knew they had to get Sage well again in order to fight this demon master. Otherwise, they could lose Rowen forever. And she did not want that. She cared about Rowen just like she cared for all of them. He had helped her out so many times, especially with electronics and with her tires whenever they needed changing. And if she ever had trouble solving something, he was right there to help her. She wasn't letting anyone stop them from getting him back. She quickly looked at the others. "We need to get Sage the proper help, and I know just who can help us."

"Who?" Ryo asked her.

Mia didn't reply to him. Instead, she looked at Star. "Tell Firestorm to head northeast toward the Himalayan Mountains."

Star nodded and spoke briefly to the dragon. The dragon made no reply, but instead shifted her weight and took off toward the direction as requested.

Ryo continued to hold Sage, aware now that the blond Ronin was running a high fever. A frown of worry came to his face. Would Sage die before they could rescue Rowen? Who did Mia know could help him? He didn't know the answers, but he hoped to know soon. But for now all he could do was pray that Sage would make it. They needed him. Without him, their entire team would fall apart. 


	12. Chapter 12

****

The Arising

Chapter 12.

Leokoni looked toward the spirit of Rowen's father and smiled. The spirit could only glare back at him in return, for there was little he could do. But, oh how he wanted to break free of these chains and avenge his son, and himself. He felt so ashamed for all the pain he had caused his son, that he wanted to die again, but that wasn't possible. If he could turn back time, he would do so, just so he could change what had happened, without hurting his only son. 

"Well, did you enjoy my little show?" Leokoni chuckled as he stared at him. A cold satisfied grin spread across his face, his eyes twinkling merrily.

"You sick bastard!" the spirit roared at him as he lunged for him. The chains immediately snapped him back into place. Damn it! Why couldn't he break them? 

Leokoni chuckled, highly amused as he watched him. "Temper, temper." he admonished with a mocking grin. 

The spirit spit at him, but missed him by a few inches. Leokoni's eyes flashed and he shook his head. "Like father, like son. Of course you do realize you'll be punished for trying to spit at me?"

"You heartless…."

"Correct. I am heartless." And without another word, the demon master pressed his index finger against his thumb. A dark green mist came up around the spirit and swirled around him, entering through his nose, mouth, and ears, and even his eyes. And then suddenly, he threw his head back and let out a horrible scream as he suddenly changed from a natural color to a deadly looking grayish green. 

Smiling with contempt at the spirit filled with immense pain, the demon master disappeared from the room. There was so much he wanted to do, before the final phase of his plan, and already he could sense that there was much interference going on, and it had to be stopped, one way, or another. 

The dragon landed after what seemed to be hours from when they first began flying over the ocean. Ryo climbed down, carrying Sage who was moaning pitifully, his eyes tightly squeezed shut against some unknown pain. Kento climbed down after him, helping Mia down, then came Cye and Star. There was a small purplish glow as the dragon changed back to her regular form.

Immediately, Firestorm dropped to her knees and hands, panting for breath, and looking a little pale. Cye frowned with worry as he walked over to her. "Hey, are you okay?"

Star knelt down beside her friend and rubbed her back a little as she nodded. "She'll be fine, Cye," she answered him. The transformation takes a lot out of her."

Cye nodded, wondering if he should just reach down and carry her, but he wasn't sure if Firestorm would appreciate that. Finally a few minutes later, she climbed to her feet and wiped some sweat off her forehead. "Forget about me, I'm fine. Let's get Sage up to that person Mia knows about."

Mia stepped up ahead and began to take a hiking path through some woods as they left the deserted beach area. Ryo followed closely behind her, with White Blaze at his side, Kento behind them, Star and Firestorm behind him, and with Cye bringing up the rear. All of them kept their eyes and ears peeled for any sights or sounds of danger, for in these unfamiliar territory, you never know what could happen. 

The trip through the woods, was thankfully eventless, and they reached a small cabin set deep into the forest, and surrounded by tall thick trees, circling around the perimeter of it.

"Well, this is it," Mia said.

"Eh?" Kento looked at her, with confused eyes. "Mia, who lives here?"

The door to the cabin opened up and a figure wearing a kimono, and carrying a familiar item stepped out onto the porch.

"I do, Kento of Hardrock."

Ryo, Kento, and Cye looked up and gasped as Firestorm and Star stared in awe. "Lady Kayura?!" the three Ronins gasped in shock. 

Sage was placed on a cot inside the cabin, and Lady Kayura wiped his face with a cool wet rag. A moan escaped from his lips, causing his friends to frown with concern as they stood around them, watching.

"Lady Kayura, can you help Sage?" Ryo asked tensely. 

Kayura didn't reply as she continued to wipe Sage's face. Finally when the bowl of water was gone, she turned and looked at him. "Ryo, Sage is very ill at this moment. I'll explain why if you'll all be seated."

And so they all sat down, on either a couch or on an armchair, their faces towards her. 

"Sage and Rowen have a very special bond," she began as she folded her arms across her chest. "As all of you are connected through the elements, these two are specially connected. Rowen as you know is basically keeper of the air, and in the sky, there is air, as it always rises upward. Sage is the keeper of light, and the sun is the light, and it too is in the sky where the air is."

Kento's eyes widened and he cast Ryo a quick glance who looked back at him with a knowing look. He then turned back to face Kayura, waiting to see what else she'd say. 

"When Rowen was attacked at the place he is held prisoner now, Sage could feel it, thus becoming ill the way he is. And because the demon master who holds him, knows of this, he increased the pain he caused Rowen to feel just so Sage would become this way, to keep him out of the way when you go to rescue him. And he plans to do this to all of you."

Kento growled angrily as he swore under his breath. Ryo clenched his fists, Cye's eyes blazed with anger, Star tightened, and Firestorm stood there shaking with anger, as the sky outside began to turn black, and Mia looked ready to break something. 

"Calm down, please," Kayura told them gently. She looked at Firestorm. "Especially you. I don't need a dragon destroying my home."

Firestorm grunted but did calm down, and the sky outside turned back to normal.

"Wait," Star began as she looked curiously at Kayura, "how did…

"Know your friend could transform into a dragon?" Kayura finished as Star nodded. "Simple, I can see her dragon spirit inside of her, but enough of that. We need to make Sage well so you can rescue Rowen of the Strata."

"Okay," Ryo said, "what do we do first?"

"The first thing to do is to bring his fever down," Kayura said. "Also, I must make a proper medicine for him, but it will not be easy as there is a certain plant I must have."

"What type of plant?" Mia asked.

"A rare plant called the Tiger's Eye."

Cye blinked. "The Tiger's Eye? I've never heard of such a plant!"

"Do they actually exist?" Ryo wondered.

"What does it look like?" Kento asked.

"Where can we find it?" Star wanted to know.

"Can you eat it?" Firestorm asked. Everyone gave her a look and she shrugged ingenuously. 

"The Tiger's Eye has never been discovered by world scientists as it exists only to the eyes to those who believe of its existence. It is a medium sized flower with bright orange claw like leaves, and one giant spot in the center that does indeed resemble a tiger's eye. It is hidden deep within the forest, in the darkest of places, and only comes out when the moon is full. And, yes, Firestorm, you can eat it. Not only does it make a wondrous medication, it also makes a spectacular soup."

Ryo turned his head to stare out the window. It was now dusk, but the moon wasn't full. It only showed a quarter of itself in the night sky as the stars began to come out and twinkle. Here and there a distant howl sounded off in the woods, causing White Blaze to twitch his ears and let out a low rumble.

"Easy, White Blaze," Ryo said as he gently scratched the tiger behind one ear.

The tiger purred contently against him, but the bearer of Wildfire continued to stare out the window, at the moon, hoping it would become full so they could go out and look for that plant. 

But as the time passed on, it remained the same, and there seemed to be no hope that it would change that very night.

Rowen's eyes slowly opened as his breath caught in his throat. One quick glance around told him that Leokoni was gone from the room. He let out his breath slowly, wincing as it caused him some pain. He was certain he had some broken ribs.

He turned his head slightly and gaped with horror at the figure that had once been his father. The spirit's head was slumped against his chest and was a sickly looking green. What had happened while he was unconscious? 

As if sensing he was being watched, the spirit lifted his head to stare back at Rowen. Immediately, Rowen's eyes filled with fear as he quickly looked away. Heartbroken, the spirit opened his mouth and whispered. "I'm so sorry, Rowen.."

Rowen tried to ignore those words, but it was hard to. Instead he found himself turning his head to look back at him, his eyes filled with a mixture of confusion, pain, and fear. "You're sorry?!" he shrieked. "Sorry for dying, because you wanted to beat me even more, or sorry you did beat me?"

The spirit flinched and lowered his head even more. "Sorry for hurting you. I never meant to. What I did was wrong, and there was no excuse. I don't expect you to forgive me, Rowen. I wouldn't forgive me either." There was a moment of an uncomfortable pause, before he spoke again. "Rowen, I know your friends are coming for you.. however… I fear they will not get here in time."

"No!" Rowen cried out. "That's not true! They will get here, and they'll save me!" Tears were running down his cheeks as he sobbed a little, his tears dripping down onto his shirt and slowly soaking it.

"Rowen, please calm down," the spirit said sadly. "Listen to me. Your friend Sage is very ill, having felt what you felt, and it's effected him greater because of Leokoni who is intent on stopping them from finding you. There's only one way to help him, but it has to do with the full moon."

"And why's that?" Rowen asked bitterly.

"Because the full moon will bring out the plant to make him well again. But unfortunately, the full moon is only at its quarter phase, and it may not change to a full moon tonight," the spirit answered him. His head lowered to his chest and he groaned. "I myself am not sure I have much time either. I'm getting weaker by the moment."

Rowen frowned at him, not really sure of what was going on. "Are you dying?" he asked, then blinked at his own question. Was it possible for a spirit to die after their bodies had passed away?

The spirit shook his head. "Not exactly, Rowen. What Leokoni did to me is much worse than dying a second time."

"What did he do to you?"

"Struck me with a demon's curse, called the Anidemi. He's turning me into a mindless demon, Rowen."

Rowen gasped in shock as he stared at him with an opened mouth. Realizing it was hanging opened, he quickly shut it, then asked, "Can anything be done to stop it?"

There was a pause of silence before the spirit answered, "Yes, Halo's Light."

Kento was pacing back and forth. So far they had been at Lady Kayura's for over two hours. Sage was sleeping on the cot, and still had a slight fever as Kayura and Mia kept turns in wetting his face, trying to keep his fever from rising dangerously. 

Cye had made everyone some food, but no one was really hungry. They only ate, so they could keep their strengths up, but eating did little to make them feel better.

Star continued to watch the moon, waiting and hoping it would change its phase. Beside her, Ryo also continued to watch, silently mumbling under his breath. For a second he considered on leaving Sage with Kayura and just go after Rowen with the others, but something kept telling him he had to wait for Sage to get well again. For once, Ryo did not have the energy to argue with his own feelings.

Kayura looked at them all with a small frown on her face. "It's getting late," she said softly. "You all might as well get some rest."

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep," Kento muttered.

"Ditto," Cye and Ryo said at the same time. 

Kayura nodded in understanding as she stood up and went to a closet door. She pulled it open and took out a few rolls and laid the sleeping bags out. "Please try anyway. I will stay awake and help Sage the best I can. If the moon's phase changes, I will awaken you."

Mia looked toward them, agreeing with Kayura. "She's right, you guys. You're all exhausted and need your sleep. Even if the moon does become full, and we help Sage get well, you guys won't have the energy to rescue Rowen from lack of sleep."

With disgruntling sighs, Ryo, Kento, Cye, and Star all chose a sleeping bag and laid down in them. Firestorm, however, was heading toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Kayura asked her.

"To hunt," Firestorm replied. "One bad thing about being part dragon." She let out a careless shrug and exited through the door. 

Kayura turned back toward Sage and once again wiped his face. She looked at Mia. "You should get some sleep too."

Mia nodded, and thanked her for everything she had done so far, and laid down in her own sleeping bag. Only one sleeping bag was empty in that entire room. Time passed, and slowly the Ronins, Star, Mia, and White Blaze drifted off to sleep.

Sometime late that night, around two in the morning, Firestorm returned. She was in her human form and was so exhausted she nearly fell asleep while standing up. Kayura guided her into the sleeping bag, where she promptly fell into a dreamless sleep.

Kayura sat down on the couch and watched over them. Sage was sleeping more peacefully than he had been, and his fever was little lower, still he wasn't out of the danger zone just yet. She took a book and began to read it quietly as she kept a close watch on her guests. The time went by again, and then suddenly around 3:30 a.m. something caught her eye and she looked out the window and gasped. Quickly, she put her book down and hurried over to Ryo as she shook him and the others awake.

Ryo groaned as he stared at her with half closed eyes. "What is it?" he asked sleepily.

Kayura stood up as she answered. "It's time."


	13. Chapter 13

****

(A/N: I'm not trying to make this into a Mary Sue. Granted that Firestorm can turn into a dragon she is not stronger than Ryo's Inferno Armor, and when in human form, she and Star are still weaker than the Ronins, and the Ronins will have more glory. So don't be alarmed thinking this is gonna be a Mary Sue. That's all I have to say.)

The Arising

Chapter 13.

Ryo nodded his head and quickly called for his subarmor. Kento and Cye did the same, while Star and Firestorm both cast each other a glance. How were they to call on their subarmors? The Ronins haven't taught them how and they hadn't had time to figure it out themselves with everything suddenly happening at once.

Kayura must have noticed their troubled expressions because she held a hand up. The three Ronins stopped in their tracks as they were just about to head out the door, and looked back at her, wondering what the hold up was this time. Haven't they wasted enough time already?

"Firestorm and Star have to learn how to summon their subarmors and their armors, yet. They may need them while you search for this plant."

"Shoot," Kento said his eyes wide as the realization had just hit him. "She's right."

"In the all excitement, we forgot to show them how," Cye said regretfully.

"I think it's time they learned then," Kayura said. Mia nodded in agreement, so Ryo thought it over carefully at how to explain it to them. This would not be an easy task as learning how to summon the subarmor was quite draining the first time it was summoned. He remembered how he felt that day when he had learned to call his on his own. It had made him feel more stronger than ever before, but when he had banished, he had fallen to his knees and instantly decided that the ground would make a more comfortable bed, and he had awoken the next day to sunlight. 

Coming out of his reminiscence, he spoke to them. "Okay, do you two have your kanji balls with you?"

"Kanji balls?" Firestorm asked, a little confused.

"The small round orbs you two found," Ryo explained, patiently. Deep inside he was anxious to get going, and he could tell the others were as well as Sage barely seemed to cling to life anymore. Hopefully, this wouldn't take long. The two girls withdrew their orbs from where they stored them and held them in their palms, each staring up at Ryo for further instructions.

"Okay, now enclose your fist over it, not too hard, but not too light either. Enclose it as if you were holding a dear friend's hand either for their protection or for you own. Once you do that, think of your subarmor, envision it on your mind, and silently call to it as if you were calling someone you know."

The two girls did their best to follow along, but there was a few problems. Star couldn't see hers in her mind, and Firestorm wouldn't trust hers. Two mistakes they were already making. Cye seemed to have noticed this, because he spoke up, interrupting Ryo.

"You've got to trust your armor. Don't try and force it to come through. Doing so will cause chaos. Rather, embrace it, and don't worry about how it really looks. It'll show its true form when you and it are both ready."

The two of them nodded and tried to relax as they did their best to follow along. It wasn't easy and during the next several minutes that had gone by, Firestorm was ready to call it quits, but still, she couldn't do that. She couldn't always change into a dragon, only at sometimes, and she wasn't invincible in her human form, and although she was more stronger as a dragon, even that had weaknesses she did not wish to discuss just yet. Star, on the other hand, could barely contain her disbelief that she was a Ronin Warrior.

Ryo, Cye, and Kento could all tell they were having a hard time with this, and as much as Ryo wanted to help them out, he just felt he wasn't patient enough. So he allowed Cye to take over for him, while he got his temper back under control.

"Okay," Cye told the girls, "one step at a time. In order to call your subarmors, you have to make it feel welcome, thus casting away all other thoughts aside from you. Also, trust in it. It's there to protect your body."

Star nodded her head and closed her eyes, this time focusing only on summoning her subarmor. She envisioned it appearing around her body, protecting her as her mother would. She kept on trusting it to come, coaxing it as if trying to get a young child or an animal to come to her. Gradually, her body began to glow, and her kanji appeared on her forehead. Then at long last she was enveloped within the light, and when it disappeared a few seconds afterward, she was in her subarmor, which was a light purple and white with traces of gold around the edges.

Firestorm herself kept on trying, but she wasn't getting anywhere. She let out a huge sigh, feeling that this was harder than trying to get a proper English sentence structure for her teacher going. "I can't do this. It won't come to me!" she wailed as she lowered her head with a pitiful sigh.

Cye approached her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders as he looked down at her. He felt bad for her, and wished he could summon it for her, but he couldn't do that. It had to be done on her own accord, otherwise it wouldn't work at all.

"You have to trust in it. It's there to help you, not harm you," he told her gently. "And don't try so hard. If you try too hard, it won't come at all. You have to will it come, but not force it. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I think so," Firestorm said, bitterly. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, concentrating once again as Cye stepped backward and watched her carefully.

Gradually, she began to trust the subarmor, willing it to come, but not forcing it. She found it rather difficult at first, but she kept on trying. She remembered how she had gotten Keisha to trust her when she had gotten her the first time, and she decided to try the same method with this subarmor, but with a bit more respect to it. 

Ryo looked up, his eyes widening a little. Firestorm was now glowing a light purplish color, and her kanji of honor was ablaze on her forehead. Was she doing it? She had to have been. Come on, girl, you almost got it.

Firestorm continued to concentrate as the glowing intensified. Gradually, it began to envelope her, and she began to feel a new sensation. At first it scared her, but then seeming to recognize what it was, she began to relax and let it take her over. Then finally, the light had cleared a few minutes later, and she stood there, in a black and pink with purplish edges, subarmor. 

"Alright, you did it!" Kento cheered as he threw a fist into the air, with a whooping sound.

Kayura wasted no time. She had been checking on Sage periodically and could tell he was getting worse by the minute. They needed that plant and fast, or he wouldn't make it before daybreak. "Now hurry, Ronins, and find that plant!"

"Right," Ryo said, and the five ran out the door as fast as they could, leaving the two women and White Blaze to tend to Sage.

Yata stood in the center of the hallway, just outside the prison's door, listening to father and son speak to each other. He was confused though. Wouldn't Strata show a bitter resentment toward his father for all the time he had beaten him, and sent him to the hospital, claiming that his son had an accident? Humans were so weird, in his opinion. Either they loved, or hate, or were forgiving or unforgiving to one another. It made no sense. Why not just stick to the same emotions for all of them? 

He shook his head as he continued to listen. Mr. Hashiba was telling Strata something about Halo, and hearing the name, the little demon winced. Halo's light was a very powerful force against him and his kind, and his master had long ago knew that. He could still hear Leokoni's words to him before. 'We'll take out Halo first, because he is the one who can destroy us, let alone from the Inferno. And if he's out, then Wildfire cannot summon the Inferno armor, and we will remain glorious.'

Yata came out of his memory and thought it was best to tell his master at what he had heard. He didn't want to get into anymore trouble, then he could, and knew that if Leokoni found out himself, and that Yata had known to begin with, then little demon would suffer even more of his wrath. 

So unheard by the two prisoners in the locked room, he headed down the hallway, toward the one place his master would be.

Rowen had his head resting against his chest, thinking of his best friend. So Sage could help his father, huh? The question was, would Sage be willing to? He already knew that Sage was bitter against him for beating Rowen constantly, and even voiced to Rowen how he'd like to beat him around a few times to give him his just deserts, but time again and again, Rowen had begged him not to. Mainly because he was afraid that after Sage was done and was gone, that Mr. Hashiba would in turn, call Sage's father and tell him, and press charges, then turn around, and beat the living daylights out of him. So Sage had declined further action, even though it had been hard on the blond warrior. He had only punched him just once, and that was it. 

Now here, stuck in the same room with his father, and hearing of how all the abuse had come to be, was slowly becoming unbearable. He needed to get out of this place, to be free, free of this cell, free of that demon master, free from his memories. But as time passed on, he didn't see how that was possible, and gradually, he was beginning to feel as if his friends were not going to come for him at all. 

Mr. Hashiba stared at his son, quietly. They had stopped talking a few minutes ago, and now had nothing to say to each other. He felt uncomfortable, and was wondering how to say he was sorry for hurting him, but feared that Rowen still would not forgive him. Then again, he didn't blame his son either. If it had been him, he wouldn't even forgive himself. No child deserved what Rowen had gone through. He should have sent him with his mother when she had left, instead of threatening to hurt her if she took Rowen away from him. 

A few drops of tears welled up in the corner of his eyes and since he couldn't move his hands, he just allowed them to trickle down his cheeks and drip off his face. This was the symbol of his true regret, a regret he knew that would most likely never be forgiven. 

Rowen could see his father crying out of the corner of his eye, but said nothing to him. He couldn't. Inside he was still angry at him for what he had done, but also confused by other feelings he was having. Should he forgive him or no? He didn't know what to do. His eyes began to close just then, as he suddenly began to feel fatigued. Sleep began to creep over him, and soon he was in a quiet slumber land, which he hoped not to be awaken from until he was reunited again with his friends. 

Yata finally reached the room his master was in. The room was filled with hot molten lava that was so thick, he wondered how he could possibly move about in it. Still he knew better than to question his master and timidly flew over to him, keeping his body in a bowing form as he did so.

"Master, I have news," he reported.

Leokoni lifted his eyes directly at him. He hated to be disturbed and Yata knew that. Black smoke seemed to bellow out from his nostrils and his eyes narrowed, causing the little demon to flinch. "This had better be important, Yata," he growled, lowly.

"Yes, master, it is important," Yata said in a trembling voice. "The spirit of Rowen's father, has told him of Halo."

"So?" Leokoni huffed.

"Master, if Halo does help the spirit, our plan could fall."

Leokoni growled angrily at him. "First of all, little demon, it is _my_ plan. Second of all, Halo is too ill and weak to even come to Mr. Hashiba's rescue. And his pathetic friends will be of no help to him. I will not watch myself come undone in front of these pathetic human beings. I will have my revenge on Strata's ancestor through Strata himself, and no force, no matter how great or low, will stop me. Do you understand, Yata?!"

Yata's eyes widened as he quickly flew backward in fear, while still bowing to his master. He nodded his head furiously. 

"Now get out of here and leave me in peace, before I rip you to shreds," Leokoni growled.

And the little demon flew out the door as quickly as his wings would carry him.

Leokoni blew more smoke out of his nose, then held his hand before him. An image of the other Ronin Warriors appeared before. He could see Wildfire running through a forest with Torrent behind him, the girl known as Star running behind him, with her friend Firestorm behind her, and with Hardrock running behind her. All of their faces looked very determined as if they knew they would get something soon. And they would in fact, but it wouldn't be what they were hoping for. Oh no, it would be unlike anything their wildest dreams could ever imagine.

He raised his arms above his head and began to chant in a language unheard ever before. 

"Un not teca no beene usah umorie. Louit na kas vas immemoriah!" (translation: Winds of destruction do I now commence you to come forth. Show yourself my children and come to me, your master.. Btw, this isn't a real language. I made it up myself, since I don't know Latin, which I had wanted to use in the first place, this will have to do.)

A strange humming sound began to surround the room, the lava boiled and popped mightily, the walls of the room shook with terror. A shrieking sound was heard as a large demon, not as big as Leokoni, but more larger and muscular than Yata, appeared, dressed in warrior clothing, and wielding a mighty sword. Soon, more like the first appeared, growling, snarling, snapping. They stood at attention before the demon master. 

Leokoni pointed at the images of the Ronin Warriors. "Find them, my children!" he ordered. "Hunt them down and destroy them! Do as you wish to them, but kill them all!"

The demons hooted and cheered and flapped their giant wings, rising into the air and passing through the walls, to carry out their master's will.

And Leokoni threw his head back and laughed a repulsive laugh that would never seemed to end. 


	14. Chapter 14

****

The Arising

Chapter 14.

Sage was getting worse by the minute. Huge drops of sweat ran down his face, collecting into large drips before they fell onto the sheets. Kayura and Mia were gravely worried. They weren't sure how much longer he could hold on before the high fever sent him into a coma, and then it would be a matter of time before he died. No, they couldn't allow that to happen. It only been about fifteen minutes since Ryo and the others had left for the quest of finding that plant, the Tiger's Eye. Mia was worried they might not find it, but a large part of her being told her they could handle anything, they always had before. It was the matter of trusting them.

Kayura wiped Sage's forehead and cheeks with a cold, damp cloth, frowning at the way he seemed to gasp for air as if he were inside a burning building. Still, they continued to try their best as they rewetted the cloth over and over and wiped his face off. 

Mia left Kayura for a few moments and retrieved another cloth, however this one was warm. She pulled Sage's shirt up and gently placed the cloth over his chest, hoping it would help him breathe a little easier. Sage took a shuddering breath just then, and finally became still. His breathing was still raspy, but he seemed to be more calm now, or he was out cold. Mia cast Kayura a worried glance, and Kayura looked back at her with the same expression.

Both women sat down, staring at the wooden floors of the cabin. 

"I hope they return soon," Mia said, quietly.

"We've got to have faith they will," Kayura replied as she laid the staff beside her. "The Ronins have always tried their best and have always come through. You of all people should know this."

Mia looked at her, a little astounded, but not much. She had in fact been thinking the same thing Kayura had just spoken to her. But she was growing worried. What if Sage died before they got back? What if one of them got hurt out there? What if Rowen was already dead? So many fears ran through her mind she could feel it starting to overwhelm her and she didn't like it one bit.

Ryo paused in the middle of a clearing. Trees surrounded the young fighters on every side, with a patch of dusty brown ground mixed with some grass and dead leaves. There was a few animal tracks, perhaps a fox or a rabbit's claw markings. They had been searching for about an hour so far, and still had not come across the Tiger's Eye. 

At one point they had decided to split into groups, but then quickly changed their minds. Even if it was faster that way, there was always a chance of getting attacked, and being separated they would have a more difficult time defeating the enemy, than if they were together. 

"It's too bad you can't sniff it out," Kento told Firestorm as they passed under a grove of thick pine trees. The wind blew past them and for one moment they all tensed, thinking someone or something would leap out and attack them. Nothing happened and they continued onward.

Firestorm cast Kento an annoyed look. "I'm part dragon, not part dog. I can only smell out the scent of blood, not that of plants."

The group became quiet again. As they ventured onward they found themselves going through some very thick foliage and vines. Ryo took his katanas out and began to cut their way through. The others followed behind him, keeping their eyes peeled for the plant and for danger.

Cye suddenly paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder. His eyes narrowed and he searched the area. It was still pretty much dark with only the moon and their flashlights as their only light source. He could have sworn he heard something though. But what was it? All seemed quiet now…

"Hey, Cye!" Ryo called back, as he noticed that Cye had stopped walking. "What's the holdup?"

"I thought I heard something!"

"Like what?" Kento asked.

"I don't know. A noise of some sort. Like something rustling in the woods," Cye explained.

Everyone listened. They could hear nothing except the wind in the trees. 

"Well, whatever it was, it's gone now," Star said.

The group began to move again. Cye hesitated for one moment, then after hearing nothing, he turned and began to follow the others.

Then suddenly there was a loud roar, and something huge and powerful knocked Cye to the ground. He screamed and everyone stopped dead in their tracks and whirled around. Immediately they leapt forward to attack the big brown bear that had suddenly attacked him.

Cye struggled to get the bear off him, then suddenly his abilities as a Ronin Warrior kicked in. He managed to turn over onto his back and gave a good, strong hard kick to the bear's chest, propelling the beast into the air. The bear landed on its side as Cye sprang to his feet. His comrades joined his side, ready to attack should the bear come at them again.

The bear stood up and stared at them. It looked like a normal bear, except one thing. The bear's eyes were red and they were glowing.

"Okay," Ryo said, "this isn't a good sign."

Leokoni sat on his throne, his face for once emotionless. His eyes stared straight ahead as if he were looking at something that was not there. And perhaps he was. The demon had many mysterious powers which the human mind could not possibly fathom, unless they themselves were into that type of unknown power. And many whom he had come across over the last few centuries had never matched that power. 

He stood up, his eyes gleaming eerily as he smiled. Capturing Strata was the first success to his victory, causing Halo to be linked to Strata and making him was his second success. There was no way, Halo would ever save that spirit from becoming a full fledge demon zombie. And then there was those other Ronin Warriors and the two girls.. Well, he had sent them a nice surprise to keep them from even finding the one plant that could help Halo. Oh yes, he was the cause of many things, devious plans that he had premeditated carefully just to win.

He turned his head toward the direction of the room he was keeping both prisoners in. Even though it seemed silent his sensitive ears could catch the cries of pain coming from Strata. Pathetic, he thought to himself. A brave Ronin Warrior like that cries from a little pain and suffering. Well, he would just add to that misery. But pain would have to come later.. There was still so much to do yet. And he vanished from his own throne room.

The spirit stared at Rowen as if he were nuts. For the last fifteen minutes, he had watched Rowen thrash his body about, crying out in pain each time he did so. The boy had been pulling and yanking himself, trying to get free of his bonds which held him so uncomfortably above the floor. By now, his legs had fallen asleep from being stretched out, and his shoulders had major cramps in them. The struggling caused him to hurt, explaining why he continued to cry out in pain. Still, he was stubborn and refused to give up. Something he had learned from Ryo long ago.

"Rowen, why do you continue to struggle like this?" the spirit asked him. "You know it causes you pain."

Rowen continued to struggle as if he hadn't heard him. The truth was, he did. He was still feeling resentment toward him, this spirit, his dead father.. The one who had caused him pain for a year after his mother left. Every time he thought of it, it would increase the burning rage he felt for him. Finally he stopped long enough to give him a vile glare. "What's it to you?" he demanded. "You enjoyed giving me pain and watching it! This should be like a pleasure video to you!" Tears ran down Rowen's cheeks, but they were tears of anger. He turned his head away, unable to face the spirit any more.

The spirit lowered his head, not even sure what to say to him now. How he wished he could turn back the hands of time. How he wished he could have picked up his son, told him he loved him, attended his school functions, went to baseball games with him, attending the science fair. Be proud of him. But no. Instead he had beaten him daily, and even tricked Rowen into pissing him off just so he could smack him around a few times. He was incredibly ashamed of that, and did not blame Rowen at all for it. Nor did he blame his ex-wife. Had he known that Leokoni was behind all of this, he would have sent Rowen to live with Rachel. But then again, would Leokoni have gone after her instead just to get to Rowen? 

And realizing that question still hung in the back of his mind, he realized he was being dim. He knew the answer already, and it angered him. And yet, there was nothing he could do about it. 

Rowen went back to his struggling. He was so determined to get out of these straps, he didn't care if he lost a limb or not. Better to be limbless than dead he figured. As he struggled, he did not want to admit, but the pain was getting to him. His entire body felt like it had been set aflame, far worse than Ryo's surekill could ever do to anybody. 

He was also feeling tired and wanted to sleep, but a restful sleep would never come to him. Not as long as he was here in this horrid place. 

Then to the spirit's surprise, Rowen broke free of the bonds. His eyes widen as he watched his son fall to his knees and hands. "Rowen, how did you..?" his voice trailed off as he listened to that heavy breathing as Rowen tried to get his breathing under control. 

Finally, Rowen slowly stood up on shaky legs.. He looked around the room for a moment, then at the door. He had to get out of here.. It was now or never. 

He headed for the door, intent on opening it and walking straight through it. The spirit cried out to him though. "Rowen! You're not going to leave me here are you?" 

He looked back at him, eyes narrowed into slits as if examining a microscopic organism which had yet to be determined by world scientists. He felt a pang in his heart and tried to push it away. No! He would not show concern for this monster! He didn't care if he became a demon zombie! He didn't care if he was in as much pain as he was.. Truth was in fact, he did care. He just did not want to admit it. Perhaps he was afraid of what he was feeling. The pain in his father's eyes, the memories of the good times before his mother left, the abuse after she left, the news his father died smoking a cigarette while sleeping was all starting to take its toll on him. He wanted to shout at him, go over to him and kick him a few times, laugh at his face as he cried out in pain. And yet.. Rowen could not bring himself to do that. He lowered his head and cursed his nature of being a Ronin Warrior. Finally, he looked up at him, and spoke angrily, and yet with promise. "I'll be back for you."

And with that, Rowen forced the door open and abruptly left, leaving the spirit to hang in the chasms alone.

The four Ronin Warriors and the two new Ronins had the bear surrounded, each one ready to attack should the bear charge at them. And it did. It attacked Kento first, swiping sharp talon like claws across the chest of his subarmor. The scratches flashed, and then vanished, and Hardrock leapt into the air, somersaulted and landed on its back. 

The animal roared angrily and bucked like a bronco, throwing him off. He could feel himself falling to the ground, directly at a tree. He managed to pull himself up and landed against the maple tree using his feet to propel himself off the trunk of it, and flipped over, landing on his feet.

The bear went after Star next. She dodged it, but the bear seemed to turn too fast for her. It swiped its claws at her and she was knocked into Firestorm, both girls being thrown back ten feet. They climbed to their feet, helping the other up.

"We're never gonna beat this bear!" Firestorm cried, feeling like it was all hopeless.

Cye saw the bear coming at him and flipped away from it as well. Then he ran forward with all his might and punched the bear. The only effect it had was giving the bear a sore jaw and a bad attitude. Before he knew it, the bear had swiped one huge paw at him, sending him flying backward. If not for Kento jumping up to shield him, he would have went through a tree. 

"We can't give up!" Ryo insisted. "This time, we're done playing!" His eyes narrowed into slits as he raised his arms up. He called for his armor, and when it formed around him, his eyes flashed and he gripped his katanas. He stared at the bear, waiting.

The bear roared, its fangs showing even in this semi darkening forest. The blood like eyes seemed to glow again as if laughing or mocking Ryo's attempt to fight back at it. Then suddenly it charged. 

Ryo swatted at the bear with his katanas. The bear ducked, and hissed in pain as one blade cut its foreleg. It reared up on its hind legs and swatted one huge paw at Ryo, catching him against the face and knocking him back several feet. Wildfire managed to flip up onto his feet, still ready to face this beast.

Kento, Cye, Star, and Firestorm all looked at each other deciding they should help as well. But before they could call their armors forth, Ryo suddenly called his surekill, unleashing it against the bear.

"Flare Up Now!" 

The bear roared in pain, a roar unlike anyone ever heard before. It threw the bear a hundred feet into the air, before blasting the bear far away into the horizon.

Ryo landed on the ground, sweating a little from his attack. His armor vanished, no longer needing any use for it. The others ran up to him, all cheering his victory.

"You smoked it, Ryo!" Kento high-fived him. A huge grin was shining in his face, feeling proud that this brave young man was his friend and his leader. 

Cye clapped Ryo on the back, telling him he should have thought of that himself, but hadn't been thinking and that he was glad that Ryo had. While they were all cheering the defeat of the bear, none of them realized that the moon had become its fullest phase, sitting in the sky like a beacon light. 

But then, Ryo felt something light up against his face. He turned his head in wonder, then his eyes grew wide in astonishment. And he wasn't the only one. One by one, each of them turned their heads, facing the same direction as Ryo, their eyes beholding a single orange flower with curled up petals, the very tips held black markings, and in the center of the flower was a black circle with a yellow center, standing in the middle of a grove of small bushes, fully illuminated by the moon's light.

The tiger's eye had been found. 


	15. Chapter 15

****

The Arising

Chapter 15.

Rowen ran down the long narrow and dusty hallway, trying to keep his breathing in check, and the stitch in his left side from becoming too excruciating. Still he would not give in. Though his body wanted to stop and just let itself fall down to the floor, he knew of the danger that would put him in. For Leokoni would surely find him and then there would be hell to pay.

He took a left turn and ran down that hall, trying his best to keep from making too much noise. 

Without his armor that part was easy. The subarmor he wore didn't make too much noise, and for that he was grateful. He was able to speed down several hallways without drawing too much attention to himself. The demonic guards were all oblivious to him. It was almost as if they did not see him. 

He ran down a flight of stairs and came to a closed door. Breathing a little more hard than he should have been, he studied the inscription upon it. 'Iki eecihi eiana.' He blinked, wondering what the words meant. He had never heard of them before, and wasn't even sure of which language they came from. Then again what if this was some demonic language? Did their language even have a name?

__

'Yeah, of course it does,' he told himself with a small smirk. _'The bakademo language.' _He knew he was being ridiculous with himself, but he didn't care at this point. All he wanted was to get out of this place. 

Cautiously he reached toward the doorknob, then jerked his left hand back from it. The knob had been warm, but what puzzled him was the fact it had left some kind of mark in the middle of his palm. The kanji for the word peace. Puzzled, he reached out again, this time with his right hand. But this time, the knob felt cold and he instinctively pulled back.

He stared at his right hand with a puzzled expression upon his face. The kanji for the word disunity was in the middle of that palm. What was going on here?

He wasn't sure, and he was afraid to find out. All he knew at the moment, was that he had to get through that door. He reached out again, this time with both hands, ignoring the incredible feeling of intense pressure and pulled that door open. 

He wasn't sure what to expect when he fully opened the door. A barricade of demons perhaps? A metal wall? Perhaps an abyss he could possibly fall into if he was not cautious. But no, it was none of those things. It was a set of stairs leading upward. 

He swallowed a nervous lump in his throat. He had to climb those stairs and find out just where they led. Perhaps they led to freedom. Only one way to find out. He began to ascend them, going higher and higher. He winced at the pain his muscles gave him. How long had he been chained all stretched out he didn't know, but he knew he would have to bear the pain if it meant a dream come true to him.

He continued climbing higher and higher, taking a moment to pause between each step. The pain in his muscles was like a burning flame against him, and though he wanted to just sit down and remain there, his determination kept him moving onward.

He finally reached the last step and saw another door there, with a different inscription on it. This one was in a language he could understand though. For it said: 'to return to one's past, one may find out answers. To live in the past, one shall regret much consequences.' He blinked once, a frown upon his face as he stared at it. What did this sign mean? Was it speaking of him? Or was it of someone else? He was so confused he felt his knees weakened and his head spun. He couldn't stand here any longer. He had to find out what was behind that door.

He reached out timidly and gripped the handle, expecting a jolt of some kind. But no, he felt nothing of the sort. He twisted the handle and tugged it toward him, and the door slowly opened. A bright white light blinded him and he held up a hand to his face, shielding his eyes from the glare. When he had finally gotten used to the light, he lowered his arm and stared into the doorway. He could see nothing, but he felt so peaceful just looking into it. A radiant calm overcame him, and all of his sorrows were drifting away. Then he heard a voice speaking out to him gently.

"Come, Rowen. Come inside."

And so, Rowen went in, and the door shut behind him.

Cye's eyes widen with awe and expectation as the flower before them seemed to glow in the moonlight. He had never seen such a fascinating blossom before. It was radiant and yet dark at the same time, mesmerizing to the beholder. It swayed gently as if it were dancing before them. He had to force his head to turn to look at the others. "Well, we better get this back to Lady Kayura."

Ryo nodded his head and stepped forward, gripping the stem between his forefinger and thumb. Firmly, but gently he tugged it out of the earth, pulling the roots up along with it. At the same time, they heard gentle music, the sound of bells being played, and watched in fascination as white and silver powder sprinkled from the Tiger's Eye and drifted into the ground. And then, as they watched on, a new sprout appeared in the same place as the original plant.

"I… I don't believe it!" Star stuttered. "It just reproduced itself!"

Firestorm shrugged. "Every plant does that when it loses its seeds. I'm more curious about the bells I heard."

Kento nodded in agreement as they turned and started to walk away. "Yeah, it was strange. Why did it make music, you guys? I've never heard a plant doing that before!"

"Well, there's many things about the Tiger's Eye that we don't know about," Cye said, respectively. "We do know we need to get it back to Kayura and Mia."

"Yeah," Ryo said with a new edge to his voice. "So let's get going so we can get Sage back on his feet!"

The group made their way through the dark forest, keeping close together as best they could. Whenever it was too dark to see one another, they would call out to each other to make sure they were all accounted for. Getting through the woods and all the thick foliage was not easy. Had it not been for the subarmors, they would have been scratched and bruised from the thorns and the snapping of branches against their bodies. 

Then at long last they reached a clearing and found themselves out of the woods. They were breathing much easier now, and with much relief, they began their trek back to the cabin. But they would not get there so easily. As they were heading past the ocean, they were aware of how high the waves were behaving very oddly. At once everyone looked at Cye since he knew the ocean quite well.

"Um, Cye, what in the world is going on with the ocean?" Ryo asked with a edge of worry in his voice. He cast the waters a nervous glance. Water and fire did not mix very well especially when they were both on opposing forces. 

Cye frowned as he stared out at it. "It's like its angry about something." He paused, listening to it closely. And then he frowned even more, shaking his head with horror. "Oh no!"

"What, Cye?!" Kento bellowed in exasperation. Whenever someone said, 'oh no' in front of him, he always believed it to be a bad thing. 

Cye turned to the others, sadness reigning his voice for now. "It says, that a creature who keeps the balance running smoothly is no longer the same. It's been transformed into something else. Something it wants to spit out onto land."

They were all silent for now, taking into effect of what he had just told them. For a while no one spoke as they all stared dubiously at the on rising waves, watching them crash against the body of the ocean. 

Finally, it was Kento who broke the silence. "So does evolution really exist?"

Firestorm snorted as she did not believe in evolution, and Cye shook his head. "There are too many things complicated with evolution, Kento," he said softly.

"Oh yeah?" Kento said as he looked back at him. 

"Well for one, if every animal had been transforming into different creatures, where are the fossils to prove that? There should be fossils that show step by step transformations of each animal that supposedly evolved."

"Well, aren't there?" Kento asked, thinking about the different bones that were often found together at fossil expeditions.

Cye shook his head. "Many of those bones are mixed together and often are not properly checked out. Many forces of natures causes bones to become mixed. Such as scavengers, floods, earthquakes, and even tornados or hurricanes which can blow the bones in different directions. Also, there are a lot of scam artist out there who would love to make up a new creature to gain popularity and fame."

Ryo would have loved to have heard more, but his attention was quickly taken away by something rising out of the ocean. His eyes widen more than they ever had and with a nervous lump in his throat, he looked at Cye, tapped him on the shoulder, and pointed out toward the gargantuan creature. "Is that the creature which the ocean told you about?"

Cye and the others turned to look now. Immediately, they were beyond shock. For this creature had the head and body of a gigantic Great White, but with several long legs and arms protruding from its body with long curving claws. It bared its teeth and seemed to snap its fangs against one another, making a clicking sound. 

"Oh my god!" Kento cried out, nearly falling over from the sight of it. This shark like monster had to be about thirty feet high and about forty feet long. But its claws and fangs worried him the most. For they were about fifteen inches long and seemed to gleam in the moonlight. 

And then suddenly, all five of them heard the onrushing waves, and could feel a tremendous wind picking up. They could see the creature had lain flat against the waters, heading directly for them.

Kayura was exhausted. She had just gotten Sage into a deep sleep, and was hoping he would sleep well until the Ronin Warriors could return. Mia had fallen asleep a while ago, so that only White Blaze was awake with Kayura now. The tiger remained near her, but seemed to be rather distracted by something else, because he kept turning his head in every direction. 

Kayura looked over at him, wondering what he could sense that she could not. She knew that an animal, especially the tiger who was far older than she, was able to sense things that were often never felt by anyone else. "What's the matter, White Blaze?" she asked the tiger in a quiet voice.

The tiger stared at her and did not make a sound. He could discern that something was not right. For one, the Ronin Warriors were about to face something beyond their wildest imagination, and as for Rowen.. the tiger could no longer sense him at all. It was as if the Strata warrior was completely gone from this life. 

And that fact made the tiger let out a mournful sigh as he curled up and tried in vain to fall asleep. And Kayura could only wonder what troubled the tiger so as she stroked his head. But what made her understood was when she heard Sage murmur weakly in his sleep.

"Rowen."


	16. Chapter 16

****

The Arising

Chapter 16.

Rowen stared at the scenery before him. He found himself in a large village that supported houses made out of clay and straw. They were cylinder shape and stood very close to one another, in fact a foot apart at least. The roads were smooth and dust filled them, with bits of rock and pebbles here and there. The grass surrounding the streets were a dark and luscious green as if the sun never set on this place. 

He made his way down a winding road, keeping his attention on all the people he saw. These people were dressed in a style almost similar to the twenty first century, however, everyone wore the same type. The kimonos seemed to be made of the finest silk with intricate designs woven into them somehow, creating a pattern of splendid array. 

He kept walking, noticing how these people seemed to pay him no attention. Was it they could not see him? Or if they could, were they ignoring him? No. If they could see him, they would have been looking at him strangely. His clothes were of a different style compared to theirs. In fact as he passed more people, not one wore anything else except a kimono. 

He continued down the path now realizing it was turning off slightly to the left and continuing that way for a good long distance. By the time he reached the end of it, he saw a tall man. The man had blue hair and wore a red bandana across his forehead. His hair was rather long and tied back into a single thick braid, left to hang down his back. Across his back he carried a finely carved bow, curved with perfection, and seemed to be made of the finest wood, the way it shimmered under the sun. A pouch of arrows hung at his right side within easy reach.

Rowen studied him a bit longer. Everything about the man radiated power. His voice was pleasant sounding and yet firm, his gait was purposeful, and his expression stern. This was obviously a warrior of some type, perhaps even a leader. But who was he?

He came a little closer, seeking to find an answer to his question. But just as he was about five feet away a young man on horseback came galloping alongside the blue haired man. The rider's face was stressed and he looked ready to jump at the slightest of movement.

"Dayu!" he shouted in a thick voice. "Leokoni's forces are headed this way! They've already attacked two villages in the north end of Shinjuku!"

Dayu, now he remembered! Rowen's eyes widened as he stared at his ancestor. Leokoni hadn't been lying when he had told him he was the exact image of him. There was just one difference. His hair wasn't that long, nor would it ever be.

Dayu's eyes flashed with anger. "That demon master must be stopped! Gather the troops. We're going into battle!" 

"Yes, sir!" the rider kicked his horse's flank and galloped off, rallying the troops. Dayu whistled for his horse, a mighty dark brown gelding, and immediately mounted it. He galloped off toward the north.

Rowen was in awe. He decided to follow behind him to see what would happen next. Understanding now that no one could see him, he ran all the way behind Dayu's horse. Since he was the fastest Ronin, it did not take him long to catch up to Dayu. The two of them were soon facing a familiar evil. Rowen scowled with anger and wanted to charge him, but once again he had forgotten he could not be seen nor heard.

"Welcome, Bunjiro Dayu!" came the deep voice of Leokoni.

"You feign!" Dayu cursed him. "How dare you attack the villagers!" His horse snorted and reared, but he kept firm control and calmed the beast. His blazing eyes never left the demon master's.

"And why should you care, Dayu?" Leokoni wanted to know as he raised an eyebrow. "Are you not a murderer yourself? Have you not said, you had no food for the people of the villages? I took the liberty of exterminating them for you."

Dayu's eyes flashed angrily. "You monster! I never wanted them come to any harm! How dare you! We will never allow your kind to run free like this, and destroy the lives of many!"

Leokoni laughed, throwing his head back. "How wrong you are, Dayu! My kind shall rule over the earth! We shall ascend high, the humans as our slaves, we shall cover the world in darkness and make every human being know the true meaning of the word misery!"

Dayu's eyes flashed again. Quicker than lightning he took off his bow and cocked an arrow on the knock of it, and pulled back, taking careful aim. He released the arrow and let it fly toward the demon master. 

As Rowen figured, Leokoni blocked it, and attacked, using a long sword that threw off dark energy waves. The fighting was intense. Dayu tried to keep his horse under controlled, while fending off blow after blow from that blade, as while as trying to shoot back with his arrows. The fighting was relentless and once or twice, either Leokoni would score a hit against Dayu, or Dayu would score a hit against Leokoni. But neither would give up until the other was dead.

By now the soldiers, that the rider had rounded up, had gathered. Each of them charged against Leokoni, but he had a surprise awaiting them. The moment they charged, a group of demonic warriors attacked them. Bloodshed was everywhere and the end of fighting did not seem be near enough.

Finally as the sun began to set in the west, Dayu knew they had one last chance. Either he destroyed Leokoni or watched mankind fall. He took out another arrow and cocked it on the knock of the arrow. Aiming it directly at the demon master's heart, he closed his eyes, silently saying a prayer of some sort. "Ini tenh mi aca!" With the last word spoken, he released the arrow and let it fly. 

There was a scream of agonizing torture and Dayu opened his eyes to see what had happened. Leokoni was writhing on the ground, trying to draw the arrow out. Black blood poured from his chest wound and his golden yellow eyes turned dark green with fierce anger. He spat up blood and gave Dayu a hateful look. "Emence ni emora!" And then suddenly his eyes closed and he died.

The Ronins stood ready the best they could. By now they could clearly see the shark creature and blood dripping from its fangs. Kento and Star felt nauseated and Firestorm curled her lip in disgust. Cye's eyes narrowed. He knew this creature would not come on land, most likely it would send a tidal wave against them, and draw them all into the sea. He knew what needed to be done. He looked at the others. "You guys get out of here!" he ordered.

"Cye, are you crazy?!" Kento bellowed. "That shark will tear you in two!"

"And he'll destroy the rest of you if he draws you all out to sea!" Cye argued. 

Ryo looked toward the creature. It exuded power and even though he knew he could take it with Inferno, there was still a chance something could go wrong. He nodded at the others. "Let Cye handle this!"

"But!" Firestorm protested, her eyes widening with fear.

Ryo turned to look at her, his countenance firm. "Cye can handle this. I believe he can, and he will. You've got to believe too." He turned his attention toward Cye. "Go for it!"

Cye nodded and dove right into the waters. The shark creature roared and dove in after him. He dove down deeper toward the dark murky waters, keeping his pace even, and his breathing regular. He did not want the creature to sense his fear or it would get the better of him. He had to get in a position just right and take the creature out. 

Above him, he could hear the angry cries of the ocean and prayed for a bit more time so he could finish this off. The ocean was so far agreeing with him, because it did not send him nor the creature hurtling out into the sky above. 

The creature snapped at his heels and he yanked them away just in the nick of time. They rounded a coral reef, and Cye came very close into getting his armor scratched up by the reefs.

He made a quick turn and entered through a dark cave just at the floor. Just as he hoped the creature followed him. He could only hope that the cave gave him enough room to execute his plan to the fullest.

The shark creature roared behind him, sending out spirals of bubbles and foam through the water. It flapped its large tail against the flat of the water currents, enabling it to propel itself faster through the water, while its arms beat furiously to help it along. It let out another roar and tried in vain to grab Cye with its front claws, but the Ronin of Torrent kicked his booted feet against it, getting away. 

Over, under, and through archways did the two swim. Cye wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up. He was certain that his friends were worried about him, and even though the water gave him strength, he could still be hurt. Finally, he decided to make his move.

He came to a stop at the very end of the cave wall and whirled around to face his pursuer. Sea blue eyes narrowed as he waited for the shark creature to come closer to him. He could see the gleaming of those sharp fangs, hear the onrushing roar that escaped from the beast's throat, feel the fury of the sea as it boiled all around him. 

He raised his Yari and aimed the end of it toward the shark creature, concentrating on his power to control his surekill that was soon to come. His kanji appeared glowing brightly in his forehead. It should have at least blinded the creature, but it was not fazed by it. It let out another roar and continued to swim right for Cye. Then the Ronin of Torrent called out with all his might. "Super Wave Smasher!"

The attack struck out and hit the creature full force in the face. It roared in agony, thrashed against the waves, slammed itself down on the bed of the ocean, flapping wildly against it. Froth came out of its mouth and it tried to straighten up to attack. Though it was too weak. Cye's attack had knocked away most of its strength out, but it knocked away something else too. 

As Cye watched a strange greenish glow overcame the shark. He watched, rather fascinated, as its body seemed to be changing. The several arms and claws were vanishing, its body length was shortening. Then at last the light disappeared and all that remained of the shark creature was nothing more than a nurse shark.

__

'The guys will not believe this,' Cye thought to himself as he swam away from the small shark and out of the cave. 

It took a while, but Kayura had finally brought Sage's fever down to a low grade. Now that he was resting again, she could sit back and try to relax some. She was beginning to feel quite exhausted, and yet she was afraid to sleep. She was worried about Rowen, worried about the other Ronins and the two new Ronins. Given the fact the two girls were learning rather quickly, she did not believe they had much experience in fighting. 

There was also the fact that evil was still floating around nearby. She could feel the Staff warning her over and over again that the danger had not passed. She knew that it would only pass once the one responsible for it was dead. And only one person could kill him,

She stood up and stretched. She had to get some sleep. Perhaps a little shut eye would not hurt. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to settle onto the sleeping bag closest to Sage's cot. She wanted to be near him in case anything should go wrong. 

Silence reigned throughout the cabin, and soon a quiet breathing sound emitted from Kayura. She had fallen into a deep sleep.

White Blaze stood up and approached her. After checking to see that she was just sleeping, and getting much needed rest, he headed over to Mia. The young woman was in a deep sleep too, so he left her alone. Returning back to Sage, he placed his huge head against Halo's chest. He could feel the spirit of the armor wanting to heal Sage, but something was blocking it. Though he could not tell what. By rights, Sage should have been dead. Had the armor not been fighting as it had been, he would have been dead hours ago. But could the armor last until the Tiger's Eye was there? 

A/N: This took me longer than I thought. Writer's block can be such a drag. I'm slowly getting the fic where I want it to come to be, after much debating and going through idea after idea. Once again, the above language that you don't recognize is my own, unless by some weird chance it does exist out there, then it isn't mine.. So in the meantime, the words: Ini tenh mi aca will stand for: Death unto you forever, and the words Emence ni emora will stand for Evil shall prevail. Also, an answer to a question I received. What is a Mary Sue? A Mary Sue is a character a person enters into their fic. Often, they are the most charming, beautiful, perfect, and strongest and best people out there. They are usually sent to protect the main characters, and generally fall in love with the Ronins or Warlords, have no faults, can sing beautifully, play sports better than the Ronins, even fight better than the Ronins, and generally have no weaknesses. And believe me, you don't want a character like that. If you want a good character, give her/him a name, personality, weaknesses, faults, and certain strengths. And most of all, don't focus the fic just on your character. Focus it on the Ronin Warriors, Warlords, and original characters of the show. This will help keep returning readers to you. I hope I've answered this question in a way that was not confusing. See ya. 


	17. Chapter 17

****

The Arising

Chapter 17.

By the time Cye had gotten back to the other Ronins, he had told them all that had happened between him and the shark creature. His friends were nonplussed and were wondering just how a small shark could be turned into a demon shark. Star suggested that perhaps the one who held Rowen captive, had created it, and had also created the bear monster Ryo had destroyed earlier. And if that was the case, then they could all figure out just why these creatures were coming after them. To prevent them from rescuing their friend. With little information they had to go on, they had two conflicting issues. The first being that Sage was very ill. Without Sage, Ryo could not summon the Inferno armor, and they had no idea just how powerful this demon was. All they knew was that Rowen's ancestor had faced the demon and had destroyed him, and now that he was back again, it may very well be hard to get rid of him again. 

And yet, if they did not defeat him, then Rowen could be lost forever. So thus, they would continue on in their quest. Now that they had the Tiger's Eye, they would need to keep it safe through the journey back to Kayura's cabin. 

It had been suggested that Firestorm transform into a dragon, to take the precious plant back. But the realization quickly came when she told them she might crush it, and then it would be of no good use.

Kento suggested one of them run all the way with it, but again, they could not take that chance. The risk was too high.

"So then what can we do?" Kento wanted to know as they passed under several gnarled tree branches that intertwined with one another. 

"We stick together, Kento," Ryo said firmly as he decided to use his armor's sword and slash through the branches which by now were beginning to make it impossible to get through.

Kento sighed and nodded with a hidden sour look on his face. Of course, Ryo was right. It would have suicide to run off on his own. So arguing no further, he followed after Ryo.

Star followed behind Kento, thinking of how terrible Rowen must be feeling by now. She had lost track of how long he had been a prisoner to Leokoni, but it seemed as if he had been gone for weeks. Would he be the same as he was before he was captured, once they rescued him? Or would he be a totally different person? She hoped not. Her heart would wrench itself in two if he was no longer the same. 

Cye followed behind Star, keeping quiet as he listened to his own inner thoughts. He felt worried and perhaps tired, but it was only because he was carrying concern for more people than he realized. He knew this Leokoni could perhaps be dangerous, but what of the little demon who had captured Rowen in the first place? Without Sage, this demon was a threat to them. Particularly at night time. For the creature was one of the night, gaining its powers from the darkness. Just like.. like Cale. 

Firestorm followed behind Cye, thinking nothing at all at the moment. Or so one would think that. Her thoughts were so deep, even she could barely hear them. So she was completely unaware of the gnarled branches that suddenly came to life as they grew back together, until it was too late. For they had suddenly wrapped themselves around her, pinning her arms at her sides and lifting her high into the air. She screamed. 

The Ronins turned around; their eyes widening with shock and horror. For the tree of the branches had suddenly become some hideous creature, rising up on two tall legs and stretching out branches that seem to snap like whips and chains. At the end of these branches grew tiny little bat like heads, full of sharp teeth. The teeth sank into her skin and she cried out in pain.

"Firestorm!" Star screamed, her eyes widening in fear.

"We've got to do something!" Cye shouted as he leapt to attack. However his attack was futile and he was quickly knocked to the ground.

Ryo leapt into the air, his swords twirling in his hands, the sharp edges gleaming dangerously. He hacked at the branches, cutting a few off, but one branch wrapped itself around one leg, causing him to lose his balance. He lost one sword. Struggling desperately in an attempt to free both himself and Firestorm, he lifted the only sword he held now, swinging it madly against failing branches. 

"Ryo!" Kento shouted as he tried to help the situation. He was beginning to put two and two together. If Ryo and Cye had both been attacked by creatures, and Firestorm was attacked by this one, it was only likely that the demon master had a creature waiting for each of them. 

Grinding his teeth together, he twirled his naginata around his head, pausing at each interval to strike down upon a branch. 

Star tried with all her might to help her friend, but there was little she could. She had no idea how to properly use her weapon, and it felt clumsy in her hands. Sweating with worry a little, she glanced upward in desperation. 

Cye got to his feet again, determined to help his friend. He saw Ryo's fallen sword and lifted it up into his hand. "Ryo, catch!" he cried up to his friend.

Through his struggling, Ryo saw his fallen sword tossed into the air. Stretching out his body as best he could against the branches that were now wrapping themselves around his body, his arm reached out, hand and fingers extending as he saw his sword coming closer and closer to him. 

For one moment, he lost sense of what was happening. The time seemed to move slowly for him. It was at that moment when he felt the pommel of the sword connect with his palm, and he tightened his fingers around it. 

Satisfied that he had both swords in hand, he leapt into a frenzy, attacking the branches without mercy. The tree demon protested at this new attack, and slapped a powerful branch against Ryo's face, bruising one cheek to a dark purple. Hissing in pain, he cut down the branch holding his leg and now arm. But then he realized no more branches were holding him, and he was dropping suddenly back down to earth. 

Firestorm continued to struggle madly against the creature, her temper and frustration starting to rise within her. She could see Ryo falling to the earth below and fear increased within her. She had no idea if Ryo could prevent himself from falling, or if someone below would catch him. She kicked out a leg, trying to get one branch off her. 

Another branch snaked around her neck, slowly cutting off her air supply. Eyes widening with fear and now unabashed anger coursing through her veins, the kanji for honor lit upon her forehead. The sky immediately turned black, blocking out the moon and stars. Her body began to glow a violet color as the air suddenly became dangerous around them.

Ryo was still falling at a face pace toward the ground. He tried to right himself up, so that he could land upon his feet, but he could not do so. And knowing that worried him.

Cye saw his leader falling and he gasped in horror. If Ryo hit the ground he could very well be badly injured or worse killed. He sprinted forward as fast as he could, determined to catch his fallen leader. Behind him, he could hear Kento and Star shouting, and that only increased his speed as he saw Ryo coming closer and closer toward the ground. 

Grunting in effort he dove forward, with arms outstretched. The moment Ryo's body connected with Cye, the Ronin of Torrent gasped at shock at the sudden weight added to him. He and Ryo fell to the ground, with Cye landing on the bottom, and Ryo on top of his chest. 

Gasping as realization hit him, Ryo lifted his head with a groan.

"Ryo, are you okay?" Cye asked him as he tried to get his leader off him. 

Ryo nodded as he quickly recovered and voluntarily moved off Cye, then reached a hand down to help him up. "I owe you big time."

"Think nothing of it," Cye told him.

A sudden fierce roar caught everyone's attention, causing them to look toward Firestorm and the tree demon. And their mouths dropped open in shock. For in Firestorm's place was a gigantic black dragon with silver blue eyes. 

Rowen came back to the present time, blinking rapidly. His head swelled with information, confusion, and unanswered questions. He staggered away from the doorway, entering back into the room he had been in before. It was too quiet for his liking and the place seemed darker than usual. Staggering down the stairs, his weakened body forced its way down toward the room below. 

He leaned against a wall for support, trying to get his breathing under control. He knew he could not remain here, for Leokoni's hordes would soon be upon it. He already knew that most of them had been sent after his friends, but he had no idea how long that would take them to return. In his heart he knew the other Ronins would be able to handle these demons, but hope was quickly diminishing. 

Vaguely he could hear footsteps echoing from outside of the door, and his heart tightened with apprehension. Someone was coming. He had to get out of here. Now. 

He straightened himself up and hurried away from the wall. Growing confident in his stride, he quickly made his way across another room where he noticed another door opposite of the room. The door was rounded shaped and heavily bolted into the side. Why this door was locked remained a mystery, but he knew he had to get it opened. His fingers clasped the sliding lock and he struggled to push it aside with all his might. The lock would not budge. Grunting, he tried again, pressing his injured body against the wooden door, determination overcoming his exertion. 

He would not give up, not until he was free, and far away from Leokoni. Inch by inch the lock seem to slide backward, slowly unlocking the door from its hinges. Sweat poured down his face and his fingers burned with the struggle he was enduring. Finally with one last desperate pull, the lock became undone, and the door pulled open. 

Heart pounding with happiness and relief, he pulled the door open further, wincing at the large creaking sound it made. Looking outward, he could see a tunnel leading upward. Feeling this way led up to the ground, he took a step forward through the doorway.

He was completely unaware of a heavy object connecting with the back of his skull, plunging him instantly into darkness. 

Star ran forward, watching as the dragon struggled violently between the branches that held it prisoner. Compared to the girl who had once been in their clutches, this dragon was much stronger and more deadly to the tree.

Ryo could already feel himself strengthening as heat seemed to rise within the back of the dragon's throat. He felt himself glowing in response to the heat and watched the struggle above him.

"Firestorm!" Kento shouted, but there was little any of them could do, aside from renewing their attack on the tree. That gave him an idea suddenly, and he looked at the others. "Hey, let's attack together, at the same time!" 

"Wow, Kento had an idea!" Cye remarked.

"Very funny!" Kento rolled his eyes as he turned away. 

Cye looked at his friend, wondering if he had hurt his feelings, but now was not the time to find out. He had to agree to Kento's plan, even if it did surprise him.

"On three," Ryo said as the four circled around the demon tree. "One. Two. Three!"

Together the four of them struck at the creature at the same time, cutting off the major branches that were holding the dragon prisoner. The dragon pulled itself forward and with a last struggle, yanked itself free of the two remaining branches wrapping around its neck and chest.

Flapping its wings into the air, the dragon turned, eyes glowing with anger now. Down below, the Ronins were staring in surprise at the tree demon as realization suddenly came upon them. The tree was regenerating itself. They could not let this happen. 

A sudden blast came from above them, and fire seemed to surround the tree. They could all hear a faint scream of pain, but the fire continued. Ryo was about to call his own surekill, when a sudden feeling overcame him and he called it back. 

He watched with fascination as the dragon above breathed fire onto the consuming tree, rendering it to broken charred splinters and then finally dust. 

An eerie silence settled over them. No one spoke or said anything for a moment. Ryo and Cye grinned at Kento, and Star sighed hugely in relief. The dragon landed on its feet, with a violet glow surrounding the gigantic body. Firestorm once again reappeared, and dropped to her knees.

Star rushed to her friend's aid, as Ryo looked at them both. "Hey, is she okay?" he inquired of Star.

"I'll be fine, Ryo," Firestorm answered for herself as she found herself gasping for air. "The transformation always takes a lot out of me."

"That was really something!" Cye claimed as he looked down at her. And with an embarrassed look he turned toward Kento. "I'm sorry, Kento, for what I said earlier. You just surprised me with your plan."

"Well, I know I like to rush head first into battle, but lately, it seems we need to use more brain than brawn, and Rowen isn't here to preach to me."

Ryo's eyes flashed dangerously. "Which is why we're not giving up until we've gotten him back safe and sound."

Feeling better now, Firestorm rose to her feet. Each Ronin began their march through the forests, coming closer and closer to the edge of it. The sky above was turning shades of dark red and gold, signifying that dawn was fast approaching. Still surprised to see that the Tiger's Eye was safely tucked away in the folds of his armor where it would not be crushed, Ryo smiled to himself. If lucky enough, they would make it back to the cabin by daybreak. 

Sure enough they reached the edge of the forest and found themselves on a deserted winding road. Taking careful steps to keep at the side, they followed one another down it. No one spoke, but each one kept their guard up. After what happened so far during the past few hours, they would no longer take any unneeded risks. 

The trek down the road felt as if it would continue on forever, and by then, they were feeling hungry and thirsty. Still there was nothing they could do. They would have to endure until all was well again. 

After walking for a good two miles, they came across some cliffs blocking their path toward the familiar ocean they had crossed earlier to get to this side. Blinking in confusion, Cye spoke softly. "Something doesn't feel right."

"You're right. It doesn't," Ryo grimaced. He stared at the cliffs towering before them in the middle of the road. They ascended at least two hundred feet up and blocked all view of the road behind. He growled angrily in his throat. Someone was trying to stall them. Well, it wouldn't work. 

Turning to the others, he told them fixedly, "We've got to climb."

Immediately, Cye's face paled. He could not imagine himself climbing on that cliff's walls. He trembled under his armor, but had to remind himself that he was a Ronin Warrior. That he could do this. 

Kento narrowed his eyes. He could feel something coming and it felt dangerous. His armor's power was going off crazy, as if trying to warn him. He frowned deeply and looked over at Ryo who was already beginning to climb the walls. 

Firestorm was following after him, muttering about hating to climb high heights. "I swear if I fall, I'm gonna kill someone!"

"Just relax, Firestorm," Star calmly told her as she climbed up from under her. "Take one step at a time and you'll be fine."

"Easy for you to say," Firestorm grumbled.

Cye swallowed his nervousness and gripped a ledge with an armored hand. He slowly and cautiously began to pull his way up. He refused to look down, knowing the higher he went, the more nervous he would become. Should he look down from a certain height, he would panic and fall. However, before he could climb very far, he heard Kento's voice.

"Wait!" 

Everyone halted and they all looked down at Kento. Seeing the anxiety in his eyes, Ryo called down to him. "Kento, what is it?"

Kento stared somewhere above Ryo, hissing slightly. Whatever he could feel was now coming closer. The hairs on his arms began to prickle, and sweat ran down the sides of his face. Then he saw a huge shadowing rising up over the top. His eyes widen and he quickly yelled, "Jump!"

Immediately, all four of them could feel the presence of danger above them. Cye was the first to land on the ground, followed by Star, then Firestorm, and finally Ryo. As Ryo leapt down, his eyes caught the glance of a strange gorilla. It appeared to be made out of stone but had a long tail with a hard spiked knob at the end of it. Its two front fangs were long and curved, while the lower jaw supported two rows of smaller sharp teeth. 

Star whirled around, staring up at the creature, her eyes widen with shock. "What is that thing?!"

"Beats me!" Firestorm exclaimed, staring up in surprise. 

"It's another demon creature!" Cye proclaimed.

He had to have been right. The creature was staring down at them from the top of the cliffs, opening and closing its jaw with a smacking sound. It eyed them all hungrily. It flexed its muscles, beat on his rock hard chest to show its power. And then with a roar it suddenly attacked them. 


	18. Chapter 18

****

The Arising 

Chapter 18.

The spirit of Mr. Hashiba felt heavy and oppressed as if the chains that held him in the air were causing him to sink within his very being. He felt weak, weaker than he had ever felt even when alive, and he felt strangely exhausted. He could not remember the last time he had felt this way. He tried to lift his head up, but it just dropped back down to his chest like a weight had been hung around his neck. 

He let out a soft moan of agony and felt himself quaking. The air was getting thick around him and he felt enclosed from all sides. He did not know what Leokoni was planning with him now, but he knew it would not be long before he would become what he most feared: a dark demon. He had begged his son for help, for the help of Halo. And even though Rowen cared very much for his friend, he would never ask Sage to help his father. It was utterly hopeless, and nothing could be said otherwise. 

Vaguely he could hear the footsteps of someone walking, but as weak as he felt he could not even curl his lip into a snarl. The door to his prison chamber soon opened and in walked Leokoni himself, followed by Yata. The demon master stared at his prisoner with a rather smug look in his eyes. 

"I caught your son trying to escape," Leokoni said as if he were stating a crime that was broken. 

Mr. Hashiba could do little to reply. Inside he felt disappointed. He had hoped Rowen would be able to escape this hellhole and the wrath of the demon master. Instead all he could do was lift his eyes to stare at Leokoni. 

"And because of that little adventure of his, I decided to punish him," Leokoni continued as he folded his arms over his chest.

The spirit wanted to ask what the monster had done to his son, but he could not even speak. If not for the faint glow around his body, it would appear as if he were a dead spirit. He wanted the strength to rip off these chains, wrap his hands around Leokoni's throat and make him pay for the insufferable damages he had caused others to behold.

With a crooked smile, the demon master continued. "I'm sure he will enjoy himself in the torture chamber once he awakens from his little 'nap'."

With vigor the spirit suddenly threw his head back and screamed, before his strength gave out and he slumped against the chains, head down and eyes closed. 

Leokoni turned away as he grinned. "It will not be long now, Yata. Soon, the descendant of Dayu will cease to exist, my revenge shall be fulfilled, and the very soul that brought the boy into the world will be my next demon slave."

Yata stared up at his master as he kept his long gnarled fingers intertwined with one another. "Forgive me for saying, my lord, but the spirit may be more stronger than we give him credit for."

Leokoni's eyes flashed fire and he picked up the little demon by the hide of his leathery skin and brought him closer to his face. "I will not tolerate such unwise words, Yata," he growled, smoke flaring from his nostrils. "The spirit will belong to me, the boy of the spirit will die, and the world will tremble with fear underneath my very eyes. You will see me rise to glory and power. You will see all knees bow before me. You will hear my name in every house, hear every tongue worship me. Do not insinuate that the spirit is stronger than I, for there is not one who is stronger." With a growl, he threw the little demon down, and vanished from the room with a swish of his cape.

Yata picked himself up, his eyes narrowed and dark as he muttered quietly to himself. "Halo must have been stronger then. For you would not have taken him out if it were not so."

Sage was running through a thick fog, his eyes peering out through the mist. He could hear the eerie sounds of the night enclosing all around him. He felt his body becoming cold from the fear he felt. His heart beat quickened and his breathing deepened. He frantically looked about. He was in a small set of woods; dark woods with black trees with long gnarled branches reaching out to grab hold of him, to tear him apart in their midst. 

The sounds of wolf howls echoed into the night and the roar of a tiger could be heard in the distance. He continued to run, to escape whatever he believed was chasing him, and to reach out to the one he shared a special bond with. Tree branches slapped at him, scratched him, pulled at him. He tripped over one and was struck in the face by another. He put a finger to his nose and took it away. Red blood. 

He looked up, gasping for breath, trying to see in the thick fog. He coughed several times, then heard a sound. He looked wildly about, his eyes widening in fear. "Who's there?!" he demanded as he spun around, his chest heaving in and out. The wind seemed to pick up, throwing twigs and leaves against him, and he coward in fear. What was happening? Who was behind all of this? His body shuddered in protest and he cried out feebly. He begged for the assault to stop, to leave him in peace. He sank to his knees and cowered in the night, the fog swirling around him like thick smoke. 

"Please," he begged in a soft whisper, "let me be!"

The wind blew a bit more harshly, and he cried out as the darkness seemed to increase about him. He felt cold and numbed with fear. He felt oppressed and depressed and thoughts of suicide flew through his mind. He could hear the whisper again and he fell back, screaming at the top of his lungs. "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?"

The wind died down and the darkness and fog lifted slightly. Sage peered out into the horizon before him, squinting his eyes as he could see a figure standing there. The figure stepped closer and closer until finally he could see clearly. He stared in shock. "Rowen."

Mia had awakened when she heard Sage cry out in his sleep. Startled, she saw him tossing and turning on the cot, throwing the blankets around him as White Blaze stood by and watched him. The tiger turned his head and looked mournfully back at Mia. Taking the hint, she stood up and walked over to Sage and placed her hands on him. However she was no match to settle his convulsing body down. Frantic, she turned and shouted for Kayura. 

The ancient woke immediately and approached Sage as well. She did not like what she saw, nor could she understand it. With a frown and a wave of her staff over Sage, she proclaimed a few words in an ancient prayer said by monks from long ago. Sage's body suddenly flew upward, then flopped violently back down. It took a shuddering gasp, then finally laid still.

Kayura felt Sage's pulse and breathing and to her relief he was still alive. Wiping the sweat off her forehead, she studied him more closely. "Dreams can cause us to do many things in the outer world such as tossing, screaming, or even talking. This must have been one serious dream I fear."

Mia was perplexed as she turned to stare at Kayura, feeling a bit nervous as if she was afraid to ask the question. "What do you mean, Kayura?" she asked, timidly.

"Look," Kayura only replied as she pointed toward Sage's nose.

Mia looked and her hand flew to her mouth as she gave a frightened gasp, her eyes wide with disbelief. Blood was trickling down Sage's nose, over his chin, down his neck, and onto his shirt. 

"What… how?" she could not speak clearly into complete sentences. She could only gaze in horror and confusion. 

Kayura shook her head as she got a warm damp cloth and held it against Sage's nose. Using her other fingers, she pried his mouth opened and titled his head forward a bit so that the blood would run down and not upward. "I do not know. Sage seems to be trapped within his own dream realm, unable to escape. Everything his body faces in his dream, his body in the physical world endures as well."

Mia turned her head elsewhere and noticed a dark mark on the back of Sage's left arm. She lifted the arm up and pointed at it. "Like this bruise?"

Kayura studied it and nodded slowly, trying to think of what could be done and why this was happening. "Yes, like that. We must watch him more closely now. I trust the Ronins will return when they can. Until then, we must continue to treat him ourselves."

Mia nodded her head and left to retrieve a bucket of cool water and a soft cloth. Setting the bucket down beside the bed, she dipped the cloth into the water, wrung it out, then folded it long ways and laid it over Sage's forehead. 

Kayura rinsed out the blood soaked rag, then again held it to Sage's nose to prevent the bleeding that did not seem to want to stop. She watched as he took another shuddering gasp, and frowned at how his body seemed to tense and his face scrunch up in fear before relaxing. 

"Rowen," Sage suddenly whispered.

Both women stared at one another in shock, and then down at Sage, their expressions the same: one of puzzlement and yet with renewed hope, and with worry on the edge. Sage continued to sleep. 

The rock gorilla let out a vicious roar that seemed to come deep from within the walls of its stomach. Rocks became loose and tumbled down the walls of the cliff, heading for the Ronins. Star did a backhanded spring just avoiding getting crushed by one particularly large rock that had been aiming for her head. 

Ryo slashed through the rocks with his swords, but there were too many coming down. He backed away as quickly as he could, slashing and hacking in defense. He stared up at the demonic gorilla. It was now even closer to them. He could see the raging eyes of the beast as it was coming down. They were a sickly green and full of menace. Truly this was a creature designed to kill. 

Cye gritted his teeth as he did a backward somersault, just avoiding another large rock. It crashed at the spot he had been at moments before and broke into several smaller pieces. He looked at the others with worry. "We can't keep avoiding these rocks for much longer!" he shouted to them as the roar of the gorilla surpassed his voice. 

"What?!" Firestorm shouted as she couldn't hear Cye at all. The noise was deafening and for a moment she covered her ears, wincing just a little. She suddenly dodged to her right side, just nearly avoiding one large rock. It broke into three halves when it hit the ground.

But the experienced Ronins were trained in lip reading and Ryo knew exactly what Cye had said. He nodded his head at the Ronin of Torrent and spoke to the others through the mind link. '_We must get away from here right now. That gorilla is coming down any moment now.'_

'Ryo, have you noticed that each of us seems to be fighting some sort of monster?' Kento asked as he continued to punch away the rocks, breaking them in half or even into smaller pieces.

'_What about it?' _Ryo asked him.

__

'First there was the bear in the woods. You were the only one who could defeat it. Next there was that shark fish which turned out not to be a shark at all, but some small fish. Cye defeated that one. Then there was the demonic tree. Firestorm destroyed that. And next there's this gorilla whose presence and yelling is sending these rocks tumbling down. I've been feeling stronger each time.' Kento looked at his leader as he spoke these words, and indeed as Ryo and Cye stared closely at him they could see he was glowing his armor's color slightly, and it was increasing in intensity. His kanji was beginning to blaze upon his forehead.

"I'm taking this thing out," Kento said with quiet determination. The fire shone in his eyes and he turned away from them. Securing his weapon in his hands firmly, he crouched down, then with a yell he sprang into the air.

"What's he doing?!" Firestorm cried out as she saw Kento flying upward to meet the beast. Kento had landed upon what appeared to be a rather rough, yet flat surface of the cliff. He held his weapon out before him, challenging the creature.

Star stared in awe. Kento seemed to be very brave now, and looking very serious where as before she had thought him to be a bit of a goof, one who did not seem to take things seriously, or even as one who was quite impatient and did not wish to wait for something to happen, but would rather make something come to happen. 

The moment Kento had jumped to fight the demonic gorilla, all of the rocks had stopped tumbling down. Now as Star began to understand the creature had been the one who commanded these rocks to smash them into pieces. She threw her arm into the air, shouting a cheer. "Get him, Kento!"

Firestorm walked to stand beside her, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched the scene above her. Kento was cracking his naginata against the gorilla, then ducking down and dodging around to the other side where he attacked again. "I have just one question," she said. "Why is Kento glowing?"

Ryo looked down at her as he stood beside her. Now that the rocks were no longer being thrown their way it was easier to talk out loud again and without much strain. "Kento's power comes from the earth," he explained. "When that creature started throwing these rocks at us, Kento's armor was feeding off them, thus giving him vigor for his armor."

Firestorm thought about what Ryo had told her, running it through her mind over and over. Vaguely she could remember how Cye had seemed to be empowered just by the water, but hadn't thought much of it. She herself only felt empowered as her dragon form, but in her human form she felt she did not have much strength. 

Star had also noticed that Kento was glowing and heard what Ryo had told of his power and armor, of where his strength came from. She thought back to when she had learned she was one of the Ronins, and she wondered where her power lay. She felt it was the very heavens themselves, but she could not be too positive on that. 

Kento was attacking the demon gorilla viciously, bellowing out loudly, and gaining strength each passing second. The gorilla was getting angrier by the minute and it beat its fists against the ground of the cliff. It shook mightily and threatened to throw Kento off, but somehow Kento did a flip and landed on safer ground. He swung one end of his weapon around his head, then suddenly released the chain and watched as it struck against the chest of his adversary. But it did little damage to the beast. 

"Crap," he muttered, trying to think of a new tactic. The creature roared in anger and then suddenly, it leaped across and struck at Kento with one powerful fist. The blow knocked Kento across the platform of the cliff and he rolled off it. He tumbled down a few feet, wincing each time he hit a particularly rough spot.

"Kento!" Cye shouted, his eyes full of fear as he watched his friend tumble down. He was about to go upward to him to help stop him from falling, but then it seemed that Kento had caught the edge of one part of the cliff and hung there. He held in his breath, watching anxiously. And then Kento swung back and forth until he had enough momentum to swing himself back up. Cye let out his breath.

Kento looked upward as he stood upon firm ground. He shouted up at the gorilla. "That wasn't very nice, you know!"

The gorilla beat on its chest in reply and roared back at him. Kento smirked at him. "So you wish to play more, is that? Well, your wish is my command!" And he leaped upward to meet the gorilla, wildly swinging his weapon in such fierceness that it appeared he was bringing a small hurricane with him. 

The Ronins below him could do nothing but watch in fear, amazement and with eagerness at the thought of this creature going down. As Kento landed once again before the demonic gorilla, each one knew the final showdown was about to begin. 


	19. Chapter 19

****

The Arising 

Chapter 19.

Rowen's eyes fluttered rapidly as consciousness seeped back into him. His nerves caused his body to twitch and the fingers of his right hand curled under his palm. Slowly he dared to open his eyes and looked tiredly around. Judging from what he could tell so far, he was not in the same room when he had first come here. He was lying on a cold, metal table now, his arms and legs stretched as far as they would go. The room he was in was built of large grey stones, each one carefully placed on top of another and yet looking as if they did not belong there. The room seemed to be in a circular shape with the south end cutting off into a square shape and the floor there dipped more downhill. 

Instantly becoming fully awake, he dared to struggle against the link chains that held his body in place. The chains only tightened against him, sending burning pain through his body which caused him to cry out in agony. Tears ran down his face as he had never before felt this much torture. He felt terrified beyond all reason and was now beginning to believe the other Ronins would never come to him in time. 

Letting his body drop back onto the table, he desisted his struggling and lay there, panting. The door at the north end of the room opened up with a loud creak, but he dared not turn his head toward that direction.

Leokoni stared at his prisoner with a mocking grin as he sauntered over to him. He peered down at him, stroking his chin as if wondering what to do with him. Then leaning forward, he clasped a strong hand around Rowen's chained wrist and brought it forward to his face as he peered at it closely. "Just as I've suspected," he said with a feral grin. He could see the burn mark on Rowen's wrist where the chain had tightened itself. He let the wrist drop back to the table, and Rowen cried out.

"You may as well face your destiny, boy," Leokoni told him as he walked to the head of the table. 

Rowen managed to gather his wits about him as he snapped back in answer. In truth, he was beginning to become more afraid of this demon master, but he didn't want to let the cruel tyrant have that satisfaction of knowing. "Face my destiny?! Who do you think you are? My destiny was just fine until your lackey kidnapped me! You had no right interfering in my life the way you did!"

Leokoni's eyes blazed with fire as the anger coursed through his veins. His muscles rippled with power, his talons seem to grow and his fangs gleamed fiercely as he spat back. "And neither did Dayu! If not for him, you wouldn't be in this mess! You should blame your ancestor for your troubles, boy!"

Rowen turned his head away from him as his own anger began to flow through him. It overpowered his fear and yet he kept it under control. He knew that losing control of himself could cause dire consequences. He could already guess where he was, but he did not wish to answer himself. For the name of the room gave him fear which made his insides curl up and his body to convulse. 

Leokoni had now calmed down. It was rather funny how fast the demon master could be in a rage, then the next moment talking as if he had invited guests over to dinner. Though that fact was from the truth. Every word that Leokoni spoke was of hatred and of evil intentions. "I can guess you know where you are, can't you, Strata?" he asked with a grin. Rowen did not answer, and the demon master chuckled. "Of course you can. The torture chamber. And do you know why you are here?" When Rowen did not answer the second time, Leokoni slashed his talons against his torso, cutting right through the subarmor he wore, and drawing blood from the newly sliced flesh. 

Rowen cried out in pain as his body jerked forcibly. Once again, the chains tightened against him, burning him a second time. He screamed even more. 

"Answer me!" Leokoni roared at him.

Rowen felt he had no choice. He was more afraid than he thought and wished he had the power to turn this demon master into a puddle of water. He wished the others were there for him now. This brought back memories of his former abuse and it made him weep. "Be.. because I.. tried to run away…"

Leokoni smiled and nodded as he let go of him. "That's right. And we can't have you running away. You still have to pay for your ancestor humiliating me."

Rowen closed his eyes as the tears dripped out of them and down his face. He didn't know what to think anymore or who turn to. Vaguely he was aware of a strange humming sound and the hairs on his arms, legs, and the back of his neck prickled. He could feel cold sweat upon his brow and he trembled. The room suddenly seemed more dark to him and he felt as if a great burden had been placed upon his chest. 

Leokoni walked a bit away toward the southern end and came to a certain stone in the wall. He tapped it just once, and the stone moved back and out came a long cylinder tube shape with a hole in the front of it. From that hole came out a long spear, its tip razor sharp. He watched as it moved forward, closer to Rowen and even more closer until it stopped just above his chest. 

Rowen opened his eyes and looked at it, his heart now beating mercilessly inside the cavity of his chest. The tube raised up just a bit and then turned so that the spear was now facing his chest from directly above. More sweat glistened on his face and he struggled to get away. Immediately the chains tightened against him and he cried out as the searing pain shot through his wrists and ankles. He stopped struggling and turned his face to his right side, shielding it from this horrific vision..

But Leokoni wouldn't have that. He gripped Rowen's neck and forced his head to turn back. Rowen's eyes were forced open and he could not close them, nor turn his head away. The demon master wanted him to face his torture, to add more pain and fear to his being. 

The spear came down suddenly and pierced him against his chest. He cried out in pain, and then took a gasp of breath. But it was short lived. For again the spear came down and pierced him again. He screamed out in pain. And again the spear struck against his chest. He screamed. It was a never ending cycle of torture without mercy. His mind screamed out for his mother to save him, but she had again abandoned him, his friends didn't seem to have any care for him. He was alone with this demon master, fated to die in a cruel way. 

Leokoni watched as the spear came down upon Rowen's chest several times. He wore no expression on his face now, but every time Rowen screamed out, his eyes seem to glow. The boy before him would soon learn that he could never be delivered, and that his only lot in life was pain until death. And death would not come for a long time. Satisfied of the spear torture, he took it away, then looked down at Rowen who was sobbing. Blood seeped from the multiple wounds of his chest, pouring into puddles on either side of the table, and dripping onto the floor. 

The demon master walked away from him, this time going to the eastern part of the wall. He touched another stone, and this stone slid to one side and out came a long black whip which was attached to a ring that was stuck inside the wall. The whip struck out and it hit Rowen against his wounds. Rowen's scream echoed through the halls of this hellhole. 

The whip struck again and again. Rowen continued to scream endlessly. His lungs strained against the screaming and his voice was beginning to weaken. He felt exhausted and almost gave up the will to live. And yet Leokoni would not allow him. Each time Rowen was heading to unconsciousness, he felt Leokoni slap him viciously against his face. 

"Now, now, we can't have that. Where would the fun be, if you slept in darkness, Strata?" Leokoni said with a mirthful laugh. 

Rowen convulsed in reply and he laid back against the table, panting, weeping, fighting to shut his eyes, wishing for death. His cries were becoming softer and softer as his voice was dying out. The whipping continued on for hours and by the time it stopped, Rowen could not scream nor even speak. His throat had swollen so badly from the intense screaming that it was a surprise he could still breathe. He lay there, exhausted and breathing in ragged, short gasps of breath. 

Leokoni stared down at him, as if disgusted. He shook his head slowly as if staring at a naughty child. "You believe your torture is over do you? Well, it's not. It has only begun."

Fear swept into Rowen's eyes and he sobbed quietly. He no longer struggled against his chains, but the heavy stone of oppression waxed great upon him. All hope seemed in vain to him. He had nothing to live for and no one to help him. This would be the end of Rowen of Strata. And for a while he smiled to himself at the thought of his passing from this cruel life and into a more blissful one. 

The next torture came immediately. For under the table there was a switch, and the moment Leokoni flipped it on, the table began to send vigorous waves of electrical current through him. He could not scream nor cry out. His eyes were wide open and he could not close them. He saw his life flashing before his eyes. The time his parents were together, their separation, and divorce, the abuse of his father, the rescue from the fire that killed his father, the reunion of his mother, the Ronins, Mia, Yulie, Luna who had been killed, the rescue of Sage, followed by Sage's faithful companionship to him. Inside of himself, he fought to back free. He was like a wild animal recently caught and imprisoned in a small cage. 

This was by far the worst torture he had encountered. It drained his energy so that he could barely even move. And movement was not what he wanted to do exactly. For every move he made he was instantly met with more pain. He tried to remain still as best he could, but it wasn't possible. For every time the electrical current flowed through him, his body jerked violently, causing the chains to add more to his agony. 

Leokoni continued to watch in silence, but often spoke words that were not pleasing to Rowen's ears. He made up lies by telling him he would consider on letting him go soon, only to laugh at him and tell him otherwise. He told convincing stories of how his friends did not care for him and that all abandoned him to his fate of death. He would also promise that the torture would end soon, only to add more to the torture. Through it all Rowen despaired. By the time the torture did end, Rowen was so much in pain and so exhausted, he could not think nor feel, nor even move one finger. Leokoni freed him from the table and called for Yata.

The little demon appeared immediately, bowing with his face to the ground, timidly looking up at the taller demon. "Yes, master?" he inquired.

"Take the boy back to his original place and chain him there," came the command. Yata moved forward and plucked Rowen off from the table and slung him over a shoulder and immediately left the room. Leokoni disappeared back to his throne room and sat down.

Yata chained Rowen back up in the air, with chains stretching his arms and legs outward again. He stepped back to study the boy. Strata was not struggling or even crying. The boy's face was devoid of all color and such a ghastly white pallor. His breathing could not be seen through the rising of his chest, nor did he seem to have his own blue aura around him as he usually did. The little demon's eyes widen in fascination. Could it be that the descendant of Dayu was dead already? 

He stepped closer to the boy and looked at him more closely. Blood seeped out of multiple wounds yet as a never ending cycle. He placed his hand against that chest, but quickly had to pull it away. He had meant to feel the beating of the heart, but the blood of this Ronin burnt him severally. Staring at his hand in amazement he saw that his hand was half burnt of its flesh, showing only the dark purplish tissue inside. Disgusted at himself he backed away from Rowen, watching him warily. 

Rowen again made no move at all. Nor did it seem as if he ever would. Sighing to himself, the demon began to think of the situation. What would his master do once he learned that the boy was dead? He wasn't sure he wanted to find out, for Leokoni had not wanted the boy to die until he deemed the time worthy. Shaking his head and muttering unintelligible words, the small demon turned and left the cell. The door slammed shut with a bang and the lock creaked loudly into place, bolting the door into the wall. And Rowen's body continued to hang there alone in the darkness, devoid of any signs of life. 


	20. Chapter 20

****

The Arising 

Chapter 20.

Kento ducked again as the giant demon gorilla swung a mighty fist at him. He did a half hand spring and landed on a ledge not far away. He knew he didn't have much time before the demon decided to either throw a rock his way or leapt across to battle him again. He could see his friends down below out of the corner of his eyes. They looked like stick figures from his position. He knew he had to be careful though. For although the gorilla was throwing rocks his way, it could suddenly change its course and attack his friends instead. So far that hadn't happened yet, but he didn't want to take any chances. He connected to Ryo. _'Ryo, get yourself and the others back several feet. I don't trust this monster.'_

Ryo stared up at Kento and saw the worried look in his eyes. He nodded his head and turned to the others. "Kento wants us to get back several feet. Let's get going."

And so, reluctantly, they all moved back as far as they could. They were near the woods again, but they could still see Kento battling with all of his might. Star was worried though. She hoped that Kento would be able to handle the demon gorilla, but she felt unsure. Then again why should she be concerned? After all the other Ronins had handled their attacks. Why not Kento too?

Kento suddenly leapt to avoid the swipe of the gorilla. The demon roared at him and suddenly came flying at him. Kento yelled in surprise for he had no time to duck. He felt the crushing weight of the monster slamming against his own body. The two of them went flying back and the Ronin of Hardrock tried very hard to get it off him. But it was no good. Both tumbled in a heap of arms and legs down the cliff's side. Rocks and other loose pebbles trailed along with them. Kento coughed from the dust and struggled again. "Get off me, you freak!"

The demon gorilla only roared at him. Finally Kento could take no more. Summoning all of his strength that he could muster, he suddenly kicked the demon off him. He did a back flip and landed on his feet again. He was one foot above the ground, but that was fine. It was time to show this gorilla what he could do. He grabbed for his naginata and held it out before him. His eyes focused as he allowed himself to concentrate. He began to spin his weapon until it looked like a flying disk hovering in the air. 

The demon was coming at him again. It beat upon its breast and let out a roar which shook the cliff. Kento suddenly called for his surekill. "Iron Rock Crusher!"

The attack went out and struck the entire mountain. The entire area was shaking mightily as if an earthquake had just struck. And to say that was true. For Kento's surekill was enough to make the earth bend to its knees. 

The demon gorilla roared in surprise as it saw that the cliff was turning against it. It tried to escape but one large heavy stone struck it in the face. And then the entire cliff began to come down upon itself. The demon tried to move out of the way in time, but it was useless. For the entire cliff suddenly collapsed, taking the gorilla down with it. It was soon buried under piles of rocks and other pieces of the road which had come apart caused by Kento's surekill. 

Kento stared at the damage he had caused, but he wasn't concerned with that. His main concern was seeing that the demon was destroyed. He bent down and began to dig through the debris. He was so busy digging he hadn't realized that his friends were coming up behind him.

Ryo, Cye, Star, and Firestorm all watched in silence as their comrade continued to dig. They didn't speak just yet, for they would give him time to find what he was looking for. And then Kento uncovered the gorilla. And tears came to his eyes. For the demon gorilla had been just an infant gorilla, and now it was dead. 

"Kento?" Ryo said, softly. 

Kento raised his head to look up at his friends. Tears ran down his cheeks and he brushed them away with an arm. "It's not right," he croaked. "It was just a baby and I killed it. I didn't mean to. I.. I didn't know!"

Star frowned deeply as she looked down at the baby gorilla. She could feel tears coming to her eyes, but she knew it was not Kento's fault. She bit her lip as she gently picked up the lifeless form. She looked back at Kento. "Kento, it's okay."

"It's not okay!" he shrieked as he clenched his fists tightly. "I should have known better!" He hid his face in his hands and wept.

Cye came forward and hugged Kento, allowing him to cry on his shoulder. He had never known his best friend to show his emotions such as he was now, and Cye did what he did best. He patted Kento's back as he stared at the others, telling them to allow Kento time to calm down. 

Firestorm felt uneasy. She hated it when people cried. It always made her cry, something she could never figure out. She turned her head away so no one would see her tears. She knew deep inside it wasn't Kento's fault, but she could say nothing to convince him otherwise. So she left the matter alone. 

Ryo watched Kento with concern, but spoke no words. He knew that if Kento had known the demon was actually an infant gorilla, he would have never killed it. But Kento was stubborn and would not accept that fact. In a lot of ways, he and Kento were alike. He thought of something just then. Coming up to Kento, he gently laid a hand on his shoulder. 

Kento sniffled and lifted his head off Cye's shoulder and stared at Ryo. For a moment, he thought Ryo would tell him it was time to go, but he was wrong.

"Kento, would it make you feel better if we buried the little fellow?" Ryo asked as he looked into Kento's eyes.

Kento sniffled and looked toward Star who still held the gorilla in her arms. He only took a minute to decide. Nodding his head at Ryo, he gently pushed away from Cye and walked toward Star. 

Cye stared at Ryo and nodded his head in approval and the two of them joined the other three. The baby gorilla was buried several feet away from the road, on the grassy hillside area. Firestorm even made a cross out of twigs which Kento put at the head of the grave. 

Then at last it was time to go. The five of them said a little prayer for the deceased baby gorilla and soon went on their way. As they walked along, Ryo kept a hold of the Tiger's Eye. 

It took some time, but Mia and Kayura had finally gotten Sage's nose to stop bleeding. With the help of the ancient staff, Kayura had cast a healing sleep spell upon the Ronin of Wisdom and now he was sleeping peacefully. Mia took the duty of cleaning the blood off him and now both women were wondering just how much longer would the others take. Looking at her watch Mia saw it was now 8:00 A.M. No wonder why she felt hungry. She looked toward Kayura who sat beside Sage's cot with her head bowed. It was hard to tell if she was just thinking or even praying. She took a step toward her though. "Kayura, I'm gonna make some breakfast. Would you like anything?"

Kayura raised her head to look at Mia. She spoke nothing yet, for she was worried about the other Ronins, and the two new Ronins. She knew they were trying to make it back, but she had seen a vision where they were battling against demons sent by the captor of Rowen. Time was still running out and it would not be long before the entire earth shook with rage. 

She finally nodded as she felt suddenly hungry. "Some rice and miso soup would be fine."

Mia nodded and got right to work. In the back of her mind though she was thinking of Rowen. She was really starting to miss him now and didn't know how much longer it would be before she broke down and cried. He was like a younger brother to her. He always there to help her when she had trouble figuring things out like decoding files or even understanding a language. Rowen had always helped her out. He had even changed her flat tire for once and didn't even complain when his white sweater got greasy and stained. 

She finished cooking breakfast and then looked toward Sage. She knew he had not eaten since he had been brought here, but she wasn't sure how'd they feed him. She glanced at Kayura and voiced her concern. "Kayura, we should see if Sage will eat. I know he's basically in a coma, but I feel worried for his well being."

Kayura rose to her feet and stood up. She checked on Sage's fever and shook her head grimly. He was still running a slight fever. She looked at Mia. "We'll feed him some of the broth from the miso soup. But we'll have to be careful. If his body rejects it, there must be a reason for it."

Mia nodded and prepared a bowl with only broth from the soup. 

Feeding Sage was not easy. It wasn't that his body was rejecting the soup, he just kept spitting bits of the broth back up. Again and again they kept feeding him, but for some reason Sage would not swallow. And usually an unconscious person would swallow if given the right method. It was like a reflex one had within their mind. 

It took a good hour, but the two women had finally managed to get Sage to eat. Kayura gave him a sip of water and for a moment thought he would choke. She watched as his head tossed about on the pillow, then finally laid still. Feeling alarmed, she stepped closer to him and held her breath. But then, Sage's body relaxed and he appeared to be sleeping just fine. She carried the bowl to the sink. 

Mia sat down and rubbed White Blaze's ear as she asked, "How much longer will it be?"

Kayura was running the water and she looked at her friend with a solemn expression. "I don't know, Mia. I've been having visions that the Ronins are having difficulty in getting back to us."

Now Mia was concerned. She peered at Kayura with both eyes focused as her heart began to swiftly beat against her breast. She imagined all sorts of terror and battles they were facing, and for one long moment, she thought Kayura was going to say that they failed and would not return in time to save either Sage or Rowen. "What do you mean?" she asked, fearfully. "Visions of what?"

"Demons," Kayura answered. "The Ronins have been getting attacked individually by creatures who have been turned into demons from Leokoni. He has sent out hordes of demons to do his dirty work and so far one by one they have all been fighting these monsters separately."

Mia thought about what Kayura told her. She began to imagine the Ronins fighting the demons and then began to put two and two together. The Ronins had gone after the Tiger's Eye for Sage, Sage was ill, Rowen was a prisoner somewhere, the Ronins were fighting against demons sent by Leokoni. It made perfect sense. Leokoni knew that Sage and Rowen were close. And it was obvious that this master demon was of the darkness and could not stand light. That must have been why the little demon who called himself Yata fled in terror before Sage's light the first time. Leokoni did not want Sage alive for fear the Ronin of Light would rescue his friend from the darkness. And if that indeed was the case, then the Ronins would need to do their entire best and beyond to reach it to Kayura's cabin with the Tiger's Eye. If they failed, Sage would die and Rowen would be forever lost. 

She suddenly stood up and White Blaze stayed right at her side. With all the things going on, there was no way he was leaving her out of his sight. Kayura raised her head toward Mia now as she finished cleaning the last dish. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"Outside with White Blaze. I need some air," Mia replied as she stepped toward the door. 

Kayura nodded her head and looked toward Sage as Mia and the white tiger stepped outside. Kayura stepped closer to Sage and knelt at his bed side. She checked his fever. It was still warm. She said a prayer for the Ronins that they would not fail, and that they would all return safely in time. 

Mia walked along the grounds of the cabin, deep in thought. She was going over several memories, remembering both the good times and the bad times and even laughed out loud at some of the humorous times. She cherished all the memories, including the bad ones, because they had hidden messages of lessons inside them. Often a person would not know what they've been taught, until they sought for that hidden lesson with close observation.

She took another step forward and stepped upon a twig, snapping it in half. She didn't pay much attention to the twig, but she did realize that something around her did not feel right. For the air felt ominous and dark. 

White Blaze's ears suddenly perked forward and he let out a low growl. Mia looked down at him and frowned deeply. The tiger was leaning forward as if he wanted to attack. The fur along the back of his neck and hackles were raised, large canine teeth were bared. He snarled. Mia began to feel afraid. The air was feeling chilly now and she wanted to leave this place.

"Come on, White Blaze. Let's go back inside," she said as she started to turn to leave. But she would soon find that she could not leave. For no sooner had she chosen to leave when she was aware of several small demon creatures surrounding her and the tiger. 


	21. Chapter 21

****

The Arising

Chapter 21.

Consciousness slowly seeped back into Rowen as he let out a whimper of pain. He did not want to be brought back where he had to face pain, but something was causing him to wake up. He tried to keep from it, but it was too much. He let out a moan as he was forced to open his eyes. 

He was rather disappointed to find out that he was once again in the same room that he had first been brought to upon his capture. The only difference was his father was not there with him. And Rowen didn't care. For he had no desire to face his father either. 

He looked down at his chains and thought about escaping, but then a sudden memory came back to him. His torture had been most excruciating and he did not wish to endure it the second time. 

He closed his eyes and winced. Agony took hold of his body and he felt that he could cry. Normally, he barely ever cried, having been used to beatings before, but this was the first time that he felt despair. It took hold of him and held him tightly within its grasp and he felt he could not escape. Where were his friends? Why hadn't they come? Had they forgotten about him? The tears ran down his cheeks and he bit back a sob. He wanted to believe they were on their way, but a vicious thought told him to stop dreaming. They would never come. 

And then a coughing sound made him open his eyes again. Frowning he stared at the same demon who had captured him.

Yata had risked being punished, but he had to see this Ronin. For he wanted to see whether or not that he was dead, and something told him there was more to this boy than meets the eye. "So you're not dead after all."

Rowen frowned deeply and then spoke, weakly. "Dead?" A cough came from him and his body spasm with pain as he did.

Yata came forward a bit. "Yes," he said with a nod of his gnarled head. "I came here earlier and could have sworn you were dead. But look at you, awake, but yet weak."

"I would rather be dead, than face torture here," Rowen said, weakly. 

"Ha!" the demon retorted. "No chance of that. Leokoni will keep you from dying. If he thinks you are near death, he himself will use herbs to heal you so that you do not leave this life. When he wishes you to die, he himself will kill you with one blow."

Rowen frowned. A part of him wanted to shout at for the demon master to do it, but another part weakly protested that he keep on living. But why should he? It was clear that all his life he was meant to suffer. He just couldn't take anymore. 

Yata continued to watch him. He himself was feeling rather giddy right now, and so could not help tormenting the young boy. He knew that Rowen was struggling not to cry, but he would see to that. He would watch the boy wail with misery until he succumbed to the fact that he would remain there, alone and wretched. 

"You may as well give up. You won't die any time soon. You do know your friends have given up on you, so why not admit defeat?" Yata asked him. 

Rowen bit back a choked sob as he turned his head to avoid facing him anymore. But strong hands brought his head back around again and he yelped. 

"Oh, did that hurt?" Yata laughed at him as he let go of Rowen's head. "How silly of me. I did not know my touching you would cause you more pain. Shall we try it again?"

Rowen managed to glare at him. "You are just like Leokoni!" 

Yata's eyes flared suddenly and he swiped his claws against the left side of Rowen's face. Rowen cried out as he heard the little demon scream at him in rage.

"I am nothing like my master! Don't ever say that again!"

Rowen stared at him and wondered if he had hit a weak spot. For clearly Yata was indeed loyal, but there was something else that he could not quite put his finger on. What was it though? He could see a strange burning within the demon's eyes and wondered about it. Was Yata actually against his own master?

Yata stood there as he glared at the boy. He wanted to rip the boy to shreds, but feared his master's rebuke. He had no wish to be killed himself, for death for a demon like him would be more painful than the boy himself dying. With a snort of disgust he turned and left the room, before he decided to do something regretful.

Rowen sighed slightly in relief. He had somehow sensed that the demon was struggling against himself and feared for the worst. He had truly believed the demon may attack him with more force and had felt his heart beating against his chest in terror. Now he could concentrate on letting his body heal as his mind wandered back to his friends.

Where were they? he wondered to himself. What were they doing? What thoughts were going through their minds? He could remember the time when he and Ryo went into the Dynasty to rescue their friends who had been captured and recalled at how long it took just the two of them to rescue Sage, Kento, and Cye. Would it take that long for all of them to rescue him? He hoped not, for a part of him did know how long he could withstand. 

A face suddenly entered into his mind and he focused on it. He stared at the image of Sage and felt a tightness in his chest. Wondering what that meant, he kept his eyes closed as he tried to deal with the pain. It was a new kind of pain, one he could feel mentally, but not physically. And the more he thought about Sage, the more the pain could be felt. And then it clicked. Sage was dying and if something was not done, then he would be forever lost. 

A choked cry came from Rowen's throat. His friend could not die and leave him here alone! For Sage was like an older brother to him. One that loved him and helped him in his times of need. Even when he was picked on in school or had just escaped his beating dad during those times of physical abuse, Sage was there. And now, more than anything, Rowen wanted to be there for Sage. And then it occurred to him. Perhaps this was why the Ronins had not come. For surely, they wanted to save Sage's life, and then once that was done, they would indeed come from him at last. 

And then fatigue began to slowly seep within him again. He tried to fight it off, but he was too drained. So at last giving into the exhaustion, he closed his eyes and fell asleep. 

White Blaze was crouched down, snarling as the hairs on the back of his neck rose up. His claws were stretched out ready to rip and shred the moment he launched himself in to attack. He could smell the rancid breath of these demons, feel their vibrating power flowing through their muscular figures and knew that these evil spirits would be no easy task to defeat. Their yellow, crimson, and green eyes bore no reflection, but he knew they could clearly see their prey behind him and it would not be long. He snarled in warning.

Mia crouched in fear, clinging to the back of White Blaze. Her green eyes were widened and she could barely speak or even make her limbs move so she could run. But running would not stop these creatures of evil. For they were quite fast and would be upon her in less than a nanosecond. It would be useless to even try. 

One demon suddenly moved forward, swinging his large sword over his head and then bringing it down in a fiery flash. White Blaze intercepted, knocking the demon backward into his comrades. He roared in anger and then leapt to attack.

"White Blaze!" Mia screamed as she watched in terror. It was six large demons versus one mystical tiger. She wasn't sure how long White Blaze could keep up the battle, but she feared at any time now, the tiger would be killed. 

The tiger was slashing and clawing at demonic flesh and flipping over other attackers. Twice he had been stabbed with swords, and once he had bitten off the hand of one demon. He flipped away from the demons and landed on the ground. His legs were buckling and he felt weak. The tiger knew he could not take much more of this. The need to get Mia to safety was imminent. 

Kayura had finally managed to stabilize Sage and felt she could finally relax. It had been a hard task getting his fever out of the danger zone, and then constantly wiping his nose of the blood that dripped from time to time. But now as she relaxed there on the floor, she had this sudden impulse that something was dreadfully wrong. She thought it might have been the Ronins, but after meditating on them for a time, felt that it was someone else. Could it have been Rowen? She bit her lip and shook her head in answer to herself. No. 

She looked at the staff as she suddenly heard its clanging. It was in an upright position and glowing as the rings on it danced about, bringing forth that familiar sound as they hit the staff and one another. She frowned suddenly as an image came to mind. Mia. She glanced immediately back at Sage and bit her bottom lip. She could not leave him unprotected, but she couldn't leave Mia and White Blaze alone. Something dreadful might happen to one or both of them.

She had an idea suddenly. It was risky, but at least if it would work Sage would have protection from any demons until she returned. She concentrated on the staff's powers and it floated outward. A strange sensation came into the air and soon a bright light fared from it, encasing the Ronin of Halo in a protective cocoon. The moment Sage was protected, Kayura transformed into the armor of Cruelty and took her kurisama. With one last look at Sage, she hurried out the door. 

Mia screamed in horror when one demon suddenly came slashing his blade at White Blaze. The tiger tried to avoid it by doing a back flip in the air, but another demon intercepted him with a strike of his own blade, cutting a diagonal wound across the tiger's back. White Blaze roared with pain and then collapsed to the ground.

The demons turned to Mia and suddenly as she laid on the ground crouching in fear, they came at her suddenly. She shielded her face and turned her head away as another scream came out of her throat. The demons' swords were raised high in the air. They could smell the fear on her. This was the moment to strike. One demon began to bring his sword down when suddenly chains flew out of nowhere and wrapped around his lithe body, pulling him back so fast he felt dizzy from the effect. 

The other demons turned their heads immediately. Kayura was standing there, glaring at them all with such ferocity. They leapt to attack like lions on a wildebeest. She flipped backward in a graceful move, then swung her kurisama outward again. The clawed end of it struck against the face of one demon, knocking it backward. Another one attacked her from behind, but she quickly dodged with a leap to the left, then gave it a sidekick to the abdomen. The demon hissed in in pain as it recoiled back. She quickly raised the sharp end of her kurisama and quickly made a slicing motion against its forehead. 

There was a strange guttural sound as the demon faded away. The other demons were not about to give up, and they quickly came at her with talons bared to strike. She spun, she hacked, she leapt. It was tedious work and twice she felt the sharp blows of their talons against her right forearm and her left side. She winced in pain as she did a back flip to avoid having her head cut off. 

Mia watched as her eyes widened to see Kayura take a blow from behind. She tried to cry out to her, but no sounds would come to her mouth. Instinctively she shut her eyes and turned her head away, expecting to hear the sound of a flashing blade slicing through the air. 

There was the sound of slicing rippling through the air, but she did not hear Kayura's scream. Instead she heard this high pitch wailing. Curious, she opened her eyes and turned her head to see a demon standing in mid attack with the sharp sickle stuck between his eyes. The demon hissed once and then vanished. 

Mia was stunned. There were now less demons than there had been before. Where there had been about twelve there was now only four. Kayura's eyes were flashing wildly and she was prepared for more onslaught. And then Mia heard her call that sure kill which she used to fear when she had first met the Ronin Warriors. 

"Quake With Fear!" 

The attack immediately went out, the chains stretching underground for miles until finally popping through the ground, and wrapping themselves around the demons. The earth trembled as the chains tightened themselves against the demons' thick leathery bodies. Their cries of torture echoed through the little forest, and then suddenly with flaring streaks of lights bursting outward, they suddenly vanished. 

Kayura's armor vanished and she immediately headed to Mia and to White Blaze. "Are you all right, Mia?" she asked.

Mia nodded her head, but she was trembling as she pointed at the tiger. "White Blaze is hurt. We need to get him back to the cabin."

Kayura turned and both women walked over to the unconscious tiger. Combining their strength they were able to drag the tiger to the safety of the cabin. 


	22. Chapter 22

****

The Arising

Chapter 22.

By the time they had reached the ocean shore, Kento was beginning to feel better. Cye had convinced him the death of the baby gorilla had not been his fault, but the fault of who had used the animal for a sickening deed. Now as they neared the shore, they wondered what other monsters lay in store for them. The way Kento figured it, there should be at least one more monster that Star would have to deal with. But what type of monster would that be, and when would it appear?

There was no answer to that question except to wait and watch. Now they would need to get across the ocean, and everyone looked toward Firestorm.

Firestorm sighed as she really did not want to turn into a dragon again. But she knew there was no other way. "We should have brought a boat or something," she muttered.

"We had no boat," Ryo replied as he shook his head. "We could probably swim with our subarmor on, but it would drain us too much. Except maybe Cye, but it's best he remain with us."

"I understand," Firestorm cut him off. She stepped backward and concentrated. An aura of violet color surrounded her and then, when it vanished completely, she was in her black dragon form. She laid down her long neck, enabling Ryo, Kento, Cye, and Star to clamor onto her back. When everyone was seated and hanging onto her spike plated back she spread her wings and took to the sky.

Star stared at the sky above. She could see birds flying overhead. They seemed to be so happy and carefree that she longed to join them. What a wonderful feeling it would be to just fly amongst the eagles, to spread wings and fly away.

Cye stared at the ocean waters below. Given the opportunity he would have been swimming instead of flying. He preferred to be in the water rather than above it. But he would not say anything, nor dive off Firestorm's back. So he was contended to remain silent during the flight.

Kento was more unperturbed as he just stared straight ahead. Though he wasn't particularly looking at Ryo's back. His thoughts turned to Rowen and he wondered how he was holding up. He knew it had to have been difficult and could almost imagine how the bearer of Strata felt at the moment. For when he was Talpa's captive it brought terrible pain and memories of greater agony to heart. It was something he wanted to forget but never could.

Ryo was deep in thought about Sage. He was a bit miffed that someone had assailed Sage directly, making it impossible for him to be with them to help them with the Tiger's Eye and to help save Rowen. Now they were battling monsters who had come after them, and he had to keep a tight grip on the flower just so they could get it back to Kayura to help save Sage's life.

A wave of anger passed through him and he tightened his grip on the plated spike on Firestorm's back. He could feel himself trembling as he wanted to shout out in rage. He needed to calm down before he did something he would regret.

The flight over the long ocean seemed to take forever and by the time they reached shore, everyone was tired and hungry, but no one was more tired and hungry than Firestorm. After she had landed on the ground and everyone got down off her back, she roared once and took to the skies again. Kento frowned as he watched her go. "Hey, why is she leaving?"  
Star, the only one who had understood her, answered, "To look for food. You see when Firestorm's in that dragon form she eats fresh meat and needs it occasionally. She'll be back in a while."

"Fresh meat?" Ryo wrinkled his nose in disgust. He was certainly glad White Blaze never ate his captured meals in front of him. He shook his head with exasperation. "Let's keep moving in the meantime. The more ground we cover, the better chances we'll get getting back to the cabin with Kayura, Mia, and Sage."

It was agreed and they headed further up the hill which would lead them into some woods that would lead them back to Kayura's cabin.

Exhausted and hungry as they were, they didn't stop to think of food. They had their mission and would not falter. They didn't know what creature may come at them next, but time does tell all when one is patient enough to listen to it.

Going through the woods proved to be eventless. A rabbit scampered past and dove into a hole, a young buck wheeled away the moment his sensitive ears heard the sound of crunching leaves and twigs. It could have been a peaceful venture into the woods, but alas, it was more of a strenuous ordeal.

They continued on, brushing past through thick foliage. Ryo cut away the thick thorny bushes that blocked their path and could just see the road that led to Kayura's cabin. It was a few feet away from them and was a welcome sight indeed. Feeling their hearts lightening the group hurried onward, eager to get back.

Suddenly, a huge shadow cast over them, turning the entire area cold and foreboding. They looked up and could see something they were expecting, but were clearly not ready for. For a gigantic eagle with claws on the edges of its wings, and a sharp curved beak and pure red eyes with gold irises was flying directly above them. Its talons were black and curved with silver claws. There was a black spot directly on top of its head and from this spot poured out hundreds of small biting insects.

Kento swore heavily and immediately all of them were fighting frantically to get the insects off them. The insects bites were painful and would numb one portion of their body. And yet when the Ronins killed them, they emanated an odorous green substance that would give the Ronins hives on their skins.

Cye turned loose his surekill and blasted away the insects from him. They screeched loudly, making them sound almost human. That thought was horrifying to Cye and he paled. But he knew this wasn't over yet. More insects came forth from the giant eagle above them, covering them in darkness and placing painful bites on their exposed skins through their armors.

Kento waved his nanginta around wildly, cursing angrily and trying to hit several of them at once. They seemed to be mocking him as they flew about him wildly. He wanted to call his surekill as Cye did, but that would do more harm than good. So the only thing he could was swat at them and hope for the best.

Ryo concentrated through his armor on making his swords red hot and waved them around in a flurry of motions. When the swords connected with the insects their tiny bodies burned automatically and they fell to the ground, where they shriveled up and decayed on the spot. Still it wasn't over. More came and raged around him. One landed on his face and he immediately swatted it away. His armored hand connected with the body, smashing it. The green odorous substance exploded and some got on his face. His face began to itch and a hive developed right on his right cheek just under his eye. Wincing at the itching and pain he felt, he continued to wave those hot swords around, hoping to kill the rest who continued to attack him.

Star was frantically throwing her weapon around frantically, trying to get the annoying insects away from her. She didn't know her attack yet, but for some reason in her heart she knew she must fight the eagle above them. If only she could get to where it was. But alas she had no clue on how to do that. She was trying to think, but it was rather difficult when she had no idea on what to do. Nothing was coming to her mind and she was growing more frantic. She desperately wanted to fly above and defeat the eagle. More insects swirled around her, trying to land on the exposed areas of her face and neck. One actually bit her on the neck and she slapped it away, only to receive a hive just above the bite. Irritated, she tried to flee, but they followed her just as quickly. What could be done to get rid of them? _'If only I knew my surekill,'_ she thought bitterly. She wished she and Firestorm would have had more time to learn about their armors and their surekills. But there had been no time at all. They had been thrown into an epic battle and had no choice about it.

There seemed to be no chance of the insects giving up their blood lust. Attacking ferociously, they had bitten each of the Ronins at least twice, and those that had been killed had given hives to them. They were itching and feeling numbed, and irritated, and had no way of stopping these annoying pests.

Then something came to Star. She could feel herself feeling lighter than she ever felt before and with a startled look she saw that she was hovering above the ground. Her eyes widen in amazement. What was going on here? Could it be that her armor had heard her inner cry to battle and gave her the power to float?

Ryo turned his head toward her in shock. Mouth hanging open, he could only stare in wonder. Realizing that had to been her armor's doing, he called to her, "Try to battle against the bird, Star!"

"I'll try, Ryo! But I don't know my surekill!" Star called back as she floated upward even more.

"Listen to your armor!" Cye advised her. "It will tell you!"

Star grimaced as she gripped her bo in her hands. "I certainly hope so," she said, more to herself than anyone else.

Kento dodged a few insects, but was attacked by dozens more who got him from behind. Waving his hands around desperately, he tried to get them off to no avail. Cye seeing the situation turned his Yari upon them and let loose a blast of water that soared above Kento and struck against them.

Now free of the insects, he dared to raise his head and his eyes widen in wonderment.

Star was now face to face with the giant eagle, her bo held out crossway. Her eyes were narrowed and determined and sweat dripped down her face. This was her moment.

Kayura opened the door to the cabin and ushered White Blaze gently in. Blood poured from wounds the tiger had and he moaned pathetically. Wanting nothing more to collapse on the floor, the tiger walked forward into the living area a few feet and did just that.

Mia frowned with concern as Kayura pulled out some herbs amongst the folds of her kimono and began to tend to the animal. "Is he going to be all right, Kayura?" she asked, biting her knuckles with apprehension.

Kayura cleaned White Blaze's wounds with the herbs, not speaking while doing so. She gave another dose of herbal potion for the tiger to drink and after doing so, gazed at Mia. "His wounds were deep, but within time the herbal medicine I've given him will cause the skin to piece itself together again."

A sigh escaped from Mia's lips as she sat down on the floor. Knowing the tiger was going to be just fine gave comfort to her heart. She felt bad for White Blaze's wounds, but it seemed natural that the tiger would protect her. Fear gripped her heart as she remembered the demons. They looked almost humanoid but their skin was pitch black and leathery like a crocodile's. Their faces almost resembled that of a gorilla's, but wasn't as long as one's. And their stench was the worst she had ever smelt. It made her want to vomit just remembering it. But at least now she was safely back at the cabin.

Kayura turned over to Sage and lifted off the protection cocoon from him. The Ronin of Halo slept peacefully for once, but he was still extremely ill. His face had never been so pale, and his skin never so cold. If not for the rising and falling of his chest one would assume him to be dead.

Kayura sighed and sat down, drawing her knees up to her chin and looking emotively around the room. "It's almost afternoon," she said, spasmodically. "I know Ryo has the Tiger's Eye, but will he get back here in time?"

Mia looked at her friend with broken dismay in her eyes. She could not believe hearing this from Kayura. She shook her head. "Kayura, you of all people, I am surprised at. Ryo and the others will make it back here in time," she said with conviction. Kayura raised her eyes to meet Mia's green eyes and waited to hear the other woman out. "And when they do get back here, you can make Sage well again, and all of them can go battle this Leokoni to free Rowen. It will happen. We just have to believe."

Kayura smiled at Mia and nodded her head. Yes, the Ronins would get back and after a battle against the forces of evil, everything would be okay again.


	23. Chapter 23

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The Arising

Chapter 23

Leokoni stood within his innermost sanctuary, reading an ancient scroll on the podium before him. It had been a least a century since he had last looked at the ancient scrolls; the scrolls of the akuma. Powerful spells were known to be written in this book, inscribed into the scrolls by the greatest of demon masters that ever dwelt on the planet. The spells were known to overtake the very mind of any captured enemy and set them forth against their own kind. And as far as the spell went the only way to destroy the spell was by either destroying the person under the spell, or by someone who was willing to sacrifice themselves for the said person.

A cruel smile came to his lips as he studied that particular spell. He had wanted to do the worst thing to Rowen and now his chance would come. He would need a few ingredients for this particular spell. The blood of a bat, three slugs, the heart of a lion, two poisonous berries, and the bones of a cheetah. Mixed together, these ingredients would produce the potion that would give strength and power and cause the drinker to go against his own will. The most difficult problem Leokoni was going to face, was getting Rowen to drink it.

"If he refuses to drink it, I'll threaten him," the demon master muttered to himself as he took a parchment and begin to write down the ingredients. "Perhaps seeing Halo suffer more would make him think a little before he refuses." He finished writing down what he needed and rolled the parchment up. "Dinsoneis!"

A large red demon with long black hair and two horns protruding from where his eyebrows should have been, appeared before Leokoni and bowed low. "What did you need, my lord?" he humbly asked.

"I have a mission for you," Leokoni said as he thrust the list at him. "I want you to find all the ingredients on there and bring them back to me."

Dinsoneis unrolled the list and glanced briefly at it. He rolled it back up, saluted and immediately teleported out of the room, leaving Leokoni to plan some more.

Leokoni flipped through the scrolls to see what else he could up with. He knew the Ronins were getting closer into saving their friend Halo, and after Halo was saved, they would unite their forces and come after Rowen. A hideous curl overcame his lips as he tightened his right fist. He had waited far too long to gain his revenge. Dayu would never let him forget that defeat, and the only way to make the spirit pay was by harming the only descendant who favored him remarkably.

Going through the scrolls he found a particular one for transforming a human into a wild beast. A sinister smile came to his lips. The spell involved an ancient language, spoken only when the light of the full moon shone on the victim. And he had the perfect victim in mind to perform the task on. Laughing evilly he shut the scrolls of ancient spells and teleported out of the room.

Ryo looked up to see Star still trying to fight against the eagle creature. He grimaced, knowing the monster could have easily destroyed her. Without proper training and learning how to rely on her armor's spirit, it was difficult for her to do a well battle. He could see she was trying her best, but something was missing. If only she could connect with her armor and find her surekill. She had to have one, but what was it, and what did it do?

Kento was still fighting against the strange bugs as more seemed to spread out all over him and his fellow Ronins. It was getting extremely tough not to call his surekill. Every time the word started on his tongue, he'd quickly bite down on it. He could not call his surekill because the other Ronins were too close by. And who knew whether or not these bugs would have the power to cause one of his friends to fall into the debris.

Cye ducked down from another attack as two more flying insects came at him. This was starting to get out of hand. If Star didn't do something soon, they could very well lose this battle. He managed to knock the two harassing bugs into a tree with his Yari and allowed his eyes to search for Star in the skies. There she was, hovering and darting in and out of the eagle creature's reach. What was she waiting for? Didn't she know her surekill? "Star!" he called desperately, "don't you know your surekill?"

"No!" she replied back, helplessly. The eagle tried to peck at her as his head bombed down toward her. She flew back just in time. Her heart was pounding against her chest and she was getting scared. This creature could kill her any moment now. "I've tried to think of what it is, but nothing's coming to me!"

Ryo frowned again as he suddenly dove face down into the ground. A cloud of flying insects came at him, but missed. Screeching in anger, they doubled back just as he was getting up. Swinging his swords sideways, they slashed through the insects. Immediately, the green odorous substance spat upon him. Instinctively, his arms shot up to cover his face and luckily enough, it splat against his arm guards. Though the acid of it sizzled into the guards, leaving burnt marks upon them.

Star was still dodging the attacks of the gargantuan eagle, and her bo flailed about as more of those biting insects came upon her. She could not think of anything in which to bring her surekill to life. She was beginning to lose hope. They were going to die, and it would be her fault. Why couldn't she think?! Then suddenly a strange feeling overcame her. Everything seemed to turn to silence as if she could no longer hear. Somewhere deep inside her was a call. She hearkened her inner ear to this call, feeling herself at peace. No more worries entered into her mind. The eagle creature was still before her, but momentarily forgotten.

After a few minutes, her eyes refocused on the creature before her, and the kanji of hope shone brightly in her forehead. With a sudden cry, the words came forth from her mouth. "Heaven's Torment!"

A sudden wave of thousands of stars and star dust quickly shot forth from the bo and covered the massive eagle. It screeched in terror, flapping its wings furiously against the air, sending air currents in Star's direction. The momentum sent her tumbling head over heels and she struggled to remain in the air. If she fell, what were the chances that someone could catch her? Everyone else below was busy combating the insects, and it would be difficult to determine if they would get to her in time.

Star managed to pull herself right back up again and saw what her surekill did to the eagle. It had literally burnt the feathers off the bird and scorched the wing tips. Cawing out desperately as it tried to stay mid-flight, the sudden loss of control, caused it to plummet quickly toward the earth. The sudden screeching of the terrified eagle was enough to warn the Ronins down below of the sudden descent. Quickly, they scattered to either side, allowing the enormous eagle to fall to the ground right in their very midst.

Immediately upon the impact, all of the biting insects quickly dropped to the ground as if dead. Not a soul moved as everyone stared in shock at the eagle before them. Now seeing it up close, they realized just how large it was. Its size resembled that of a semi truck with a fourteen foot trailer. It was pretty amazing to think just how well this bird of prey could have killed them all with one swipe of its talons.

Kento was the first to venture forth to the unmoving creature. He stared into its lifeless beady glass eye for a moment, then slowly walked around it, checking every inch of the bare and burnt body. The bird did not move. It was lying on its back with its wings spread upward into a curl almost and its legs sticking straight into the air with the talons outstretched.

Finally, Kento turned around to face the others. By now Star was landing back down on the ground, and she saw the grin on Kento's face. "Dead as a doornail," he boasted, smiling proudly at Star for a job well done.

But then Ryo noticed something. Just as he shouted, "Kento, look out!" Kento was quickly grabbed around the middle by a very muscular claw. He cried out in anger as he struggled to break the grip of the talons, threatening to squeeze him to death. Turning his head, he saw, to his horror, that the eagle was not dead. It, apparently, had just been stunned. Now it was looking at Kento as if he were just mere prey.

"We have to do something!" Cye cried out. He grabbed his Yari and focused it on the eagle. He could feel himself shaking, but he would not lose his calm now. He had to think properly so he could help his friend.

Star leveled her bo again, but had a deep feeling of regret. Why couldn't she have destroyed the eagle with her surekill? The other Ronins and even Firestorm had been able to destroy the other creatures with just one blast. What was wrong with her? Was it because the Ronins were more well trained into their armors, and because Firestorm was half dragon?

Ryo readied his katana blades and narrowed his eyes. He could feel the power of the Wildfire armor coursing through his veins. His armor had never let him down before. Even when things got tough, it had always been there for him, protecting him against all odds. And now he was ready to team up with the others and save Hardrock. With a sudden jump into the air and a twirl of his blades, he summoned his great power. "Flare Up Now!"

Upon hearing Ryo's shout, Cye quickly responded. "Super Wave Smasher!"

Star hesitated a moment, but seeing the two combined attacks reaching out to unite against the monster, quickly moved her into action. She closed her eyes and shouted with every inch of her being. "HEAVEN'S TORMENT!"

The three attacks united as one and struck into the very heart of the eagle. There was a hideous screech that caused them to wince with pain, and then suddenly the entire eagle exploded, causing them all to either duck down or shield their eyes. When they opened their eyes and straightened up, all that remained of the eagle were a few bones.

"Whew," Cye said in relief. "I'm glad that's over." He turned to Kento. "You all right?"

Kento nodded his head. "Damn bird," he muttered.

"I wonder if I should take these bones home to White Blaze?" Ryo wondered out loud as he started to reach down for one.

Cye quickly grabbed his arm and jerked him back. "Ah, no, Ryo." A quick shake of the head and a firm look in the eyes was enough to make the Wildfire bearer change his mind.

Ryo looked around in curiosity now. He had not seen Firestorm since she had left over an hour ago, and now thought it odd that she still hadn't returned. He looked toward Star. "How long does it take her to find food in her dragon form?"

Star shrugged. "I don't know. It depends really. If she finds something, well you know, she kills it and eats it. If she doesn't, she'll spend time looking for prey to catch and eat."

Ryo nodded and quickly changed the subject. "Let's get moving then. The more ground we cover, the faster we can get this Tiger's Eye back to Kayura to save Sage."

And so the four of them turned into the direction of the woods that would once again take them back to Kayura's cabin. They could only hope they would make it there in time. If not, then each of them would feel the sorrow and regret at losing an important member of their team, and possibly another one who could be suffering in agony at this very moment.

As they walked along, Cye was in deep thought. Could they truly defeat this demon who was known as Leokoni? The information regarding the defeat of the demon by Rowen's ancestor, stated that Dayu had defeated Leokoni with a curse and an arrow straight to the heart. But what chances did they have that this would work again? What if Leokoni had found a way to prevent his death from happening in the same way?

Cye didn't know the answer and as time was running out, he was afraid the answer would come all too quickly. And then before another thought could enter into his mind, a great shadow was cast over him and the others. Raising his head up to see what it was, he saw a huge black dragon flying over them. Instant fear came to his being as he worried over fighting a dragon, but then one glance at Star calmed his nerves.

Star was jumping up and down and waving her arms in the air, shouting up at the great beast. "Firestorm! Land! Come on!"

Ryo paused in mid walk as he watched the dragon clear them, then circle around into the air. Her wings cupped forward as her legs stretched out, allowing her to descend safely upon the ground. Once her wings folded down at her sides, she quickly reverted back to her human form.

Firestorm dropped to the ground, breathing slightly hard. She felt exhausted and hated to feel this way. Often, she'd even become afraid to transform into her dragon form, but it was a fear she quickly had to learn to overcome. She could feel the others coming to her and made no move to get up. She needed to rest for a little while.

Ryo stared down at her with pity. He could see the fatigue in her eyes, and his conscious was yelling at him not to say what was on his mind. But he saw no alternative. "I know you're exhausted, but we need to get moving. Sage might be closer to dying than we actually know."

"Go… on… I'll… catch.. up..," Firestorm managed to tell him. Her body was begging for sleep and she was just starting to think she could succumb to it.

Ryo, Kento, Cye, and Star all frowned deeply. After the things they had experienced thus far, they could not leave anyone behind. Especially someone so worn out. Anything could happen and they weren't willing to take that chance.

"We can't leave you behind, Firestorm," Cye told her gently, looking at her with concern.

"Cye's right, Firestorm," Star concurred.

"But… I'll… slow… you.. down..," Firestorm mumbled. She could feel herself falling asleep and struggled to remain awake.

Kento grunted. They did not have time for this. Reaching down, he quickly lifted Firestorm and placed her over a shoulder. She feebly protested, but he would hear none of it. Looking at the others, he said, "Well, let's get going!" And they turned once again and headed off, hoping to reach the cabin before nightfall.

A/N: Yeah, it's been a while I know. I've been busy to the extreme, and plus I haven't felt inspired to work on my fics. Usually inspiration keeps me going, but it's hard to obtain anymore. Also I noticed something.. I may have been confusing Star's kanji. At one point in the fic, I said it was hope, and another time I may have said it was compassion due to the poem. Since I skimmed through it and saw that I had written hope before compassion, I'm sticking with hope. Though I admit, I think compassion sounds better. If any of you agree, I may change it from hope to compassion. Let me know. Anyway, feel free to review! Ja.


	24. Chapter 24

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The Arising

Chapter 24

Ryo could see they were nearing the path that would take them straight to the cabin. He could see a thin layer of smoke rising in the distance, and guessed that either Mia or Kayura had started the fireplace. He let out a small sigh of relief. After hunting for what felt like days for the Tiger's Eye, and fighting with monsters, he was ready to see Sage back on his feet. He frowned as he suddenly feared they might be too late.

Kento suddenly caught sight of the expression within Ryo's eyes and he frowned deeply. What could now being going on in Ryo's mind? Was it guilt? Agony? Longing? He knew of the possibility of his leader laying the blame on himself and leaving no blame on anyone else. This often angered Kento more than he would have liked to admit. He shook his head with a low sigh as his eyes cast downward. How he wanted to walk up to Ryo, shake him a bit as he stared into his eyes and tell him, 'Ryo, it is not your fault. None of us had anything to do with Rowen's kidnapping and Sage's illness. Especially you. Let go, Ryo, and together we can make it through this.'

But sadly, he could not bring himself to do it. For though he was stubborn in his own way, Ryo was perhaps ten times more stubborn than he. All he could do was to keep back and let Ryo have his moment.

Cye just walked along behind Ryo and Kento as his eyes were fixed upon Firestorm. Though concerned about his two friends, he was fascinated by this girl. Not fully human and yet not fully dragon either. It was as if she were of some other origin that had brought her into existence. Of course he knew there were those who might refer to her as a demon or a half demon. Whether they mentioned of the demons of hell, those who turned their backs on the One who created them, or whether of the creatures who were born on Earth, having been born as different creatures, rather than human or animals, he did not know. Yes, Cye believed there was a God. At first Cye never did, especially when he was certain that since so much suffering was going on, there had to be no God. He was wrong. Cye's experience at meeting God had left him feeling humbled and gave him peace like no other. He could only hope the same God he believed in, would be Rowen's rescuer and Sage's healer should the Tiger's Eye not work for him.

Star was silent as she watched the path on ahead. She was exhausted and felt her heart crying out for the one she had come to care about, during the last few weeks of getting to know Rowen. They hadn't been dating, but rather talked of things of scientific importance, the laws of the existence of humans, and the theory of how humans live today. But now they were on their way back to the cabin. She wanted to rest and relax, and hope for the best to come out in the end. A sigh escaped her lips as she looked skyward as if searching for a special star. She had always been fond of Aquinas, a constellation she had studied for a while at home. And when she had questions about it, she would ask Rowen. As always she was amazed at his intellect and reasoning.

Firestorm stared down at the ground as they were moving along. Her temper was causing her to growl under her breath, but she could do nothing as she still felt weak. With every step she could feel herself bounce lightly against Kento's shoulder guard. This wasn't making her feel too happy. She was beginning to develop a migraine and was afraid she'd snap off at him. She realized he was only trying to help, but did the ride have to be so rough?

She closed her eyes and imagined she was somewhere else. Yeah, her bed would be real nice. Beds were always nice, especially with her big fluffy pillow. If only they were there now. On the other hand, a part of her felt selfish. But she couldn't help it. She felt as if she could sleep for days. And that made her feel guilty deep inside.

Ryo's eyes lifted upward and a small smile came to his lips. He could now see the little cabin just a half mile from where they stood. From where they stood on a hill, the cabin looked so small. It would feel good to get there. He suddenly looked down to check the Tiger's Eye. The flower was still vibrating in his hand; its glowing had not diminished, but rather was slowly fading away, as the sun was beginning to creep over the surrounding mountains.

"Do you think Sage is still alive?" Cye's quiet voice spoke from behind him. Ryo turned his head to face his friend, seeing the apprehensive look in his eyes. Of all the Ronins, Cye was perhaps the most sensitive one out of all of them. During the battles though, he never showed just how concerned he was. It wasn't until after they were so close in reaching their goals, that Cye's sea blue eyes were misted over with concern. Ryo could even see the tears wanting to form within.

"I'm sure he is, Cye," Ryo assured him as he laid a hand on his comrade's right shoulder. His friendly tiger blue eyes stared into his as he could feel some of the emotions that Cye beheld on his face. "After all, if he had died, we would all feel it," his hand traveled down to Cye's chest, just above his heart. "in here."

Cye smiled and nodded his head. Ryo, of course, was right. He had been so overcome with worry and concern, that he had forgotten about the Ronin link. He wiped at his eyes and laughed in relief. "Then what are we waiting for?" he asked. "Let's get back to the cabin!"

Dinsoneis landed in a mountainous area covered with coniferous trees and plenty of dried shrubs from lack of water. Though it rained periodically enough, the trees were thought to have sucked most of the rain water through their roots. It was once said by a monk of old that the trees were sacred and holy to the gods. But the demon had no time for such nonsense of the human mind. His goal was the cave high above. He spread his wings and allowed them to glide him upward, moving as silently as a shadow. He reached the cave entrance in no time and folded his wings around his body the moment he stepped foot inside.

Inside it was very dark. His sensitive hearing could pick up water dripping from the ice within, making a resonated sound. The wind blowing throughout the cave made it sound as if there was someone moaning in agony. Inside this cave though were the hundreds of bats that had lived throughout countless centuries. And he needed only one bat.

He walked regally, his clawed feet making no sound on the hard surface of the cave's floor. He paid no attention to the water dripping around him, nor the fact that he stepped on the skeleton of a torso, crushing it beneath his heavy foot. He could hear small breathing and knew he was getting closer. Bats were known to sleep within the darkest part of the cave, which was fine with Dinsoneis. He preferred the darkness himself.

He stepped down over a ditch and crossed over a small trail of water mixed with blood and some bones. His nose could detect a recent killing the bats had made. These bats were no ordinary bats. These were the Anopous bats. Bats that actually killed their victims and actually ate the entire flesh aside from drinking the life force from within. All that remained of the victim were often their bones.

He continued on through a small narrow passageway, getting closer and closer to the bats. At last he came into a much larger part of the cave. Though it was extremely dark within this area, he could see hundreds of bats hanging upside down, the wings covering their bodies; the sound of sleep within the air.

Anopous bats also resembled somewhat differently from their cousins. They were larger, much like the size of a full grown house cat. Their bodies were covered in thick shaggy fur, their wings were rather large and sinewy, with sharp claws at the tips, and their feet had three sharp talons on each to enable them to grab onto their victims.

A cruel smile came upon Dinsoneis' black lips. His eyes searched bat upon bat, looking for just one. He had to be careful in selecting the very best, and only a certain bat would sufficient for his master's plan. The entire search did not take very long, perhaps ten seconds at the least. For his eyes suddenly beheld one bat that stood out amongst the rest; a rare golden Anopous bat. For though the other bats were of a dark gray or black color, this one bat, had fur that was thought to be made of pure gold. It was this bat the demon was planning to kill.

Immediately he drew his scimitar and snapped his wings forward. The moment he did, every single bat awoke. There was a flurry of confusion and outrage, screams of protest echoed of the walls of the cave. Blinded, the bats could only hope to smell their intruder. Like enraged beasts they all attacked as one force, striking at the demon with stretched wings, talons, and sharp vampire like teeth. Dinsoneis struck bat after bat, his flashing weapon seeming to sing with laughter as it met flesh upon flesh.

Screams of pain seemed to feel the air, but the bats did not stop their assault. The demon was getting somewhat irritated. The golden bat was lost among the throng, but somewhere eager to attack him just like all the others. He quickly spread his wings high above his head and they shot out backwards with such force, it produce a strong air current. The bats that were caught within the air current tumbled in opposite directions, some slamming against the sides of the walls, some hitting stalagmites, and a few dozen hitting the floor itself.

Dinsoneis immediately shot forward and his huge hand crammed around the body of the golden bat. Steam seemed to come out of his nostrils as he growled. "I've had enough of this!" he roared, and then suddenly stabbed his scimitar right through the neck of the bat.

As if there was some connection between every single bat, the moment the golden bat had lost its life, every living bat all seemed to have suddenly come down with some kind of illness. Their bodies seemed to shrink as if they had been starving and cries of agony seemed to echo from each bat. The demon did not care one way or another. He had done the first part of his job, and now was quickly leaving, the lifeless body of the sacred bat still clutched firmly within his hand. As for the remaining bats, they did not dare to attack as he hurried by.

Rowen wasn't sure how long he had been asleep, but he remembered having an interesting dream. He had been walking down a chromatic hallway that seemed to have gotten longer and longer with each step he took. He could see the end of the hall, and there stood Sage beckoning him to come to him. He could not hear what Sage was saying to him, but he could see his lips moving and his hands waving toward himself. And what was interesting enough was that Dayu had suddenly appeared behind Sage, staring straight at Rowen.

And now Rowen was wide awake, staring up at the high above ceiling, but not really focusing on it. His mind was on his dream, trying to discover the meaning behind it. What did Sage want him to do? What did his ancestor have to do with the dream? Was he running out of time about something? And then suddenly, his eyes widen as he could feel the hotness of tears threatening to seep out of the corneas. What if Sage had died and had tried to say good bye to him? What if Rowen was the only Ronin to realize that Sage's life had just ended, and he was the only who got to see him one last time?

Rowen began to panic as now he could almost hear a taunting voice telling him of Sage's death. How it had been beautiful and that Sage was now lying in a cold grave somewhere. According to the heartless disembodied voice, Sage had died all alone, cursing each person he knew within his life. The voice also went onto say that Sage's spirit had been destroyed, so there was no hope of going to either heaven, hell, purgatory, or even with the hope of perhaps being reincarnated.

His entire body shook with great racking sobs as his lungs and throat burned with the intensity of it. He did not understand how anyone could be so cruel. Now Rowen wanted to do something he would have never thought in a hundred years. He wanted to end his own life. Without Sage who had supported him throughout the many years of which he knew him, he no longer wanted to live. To him, living now was just a waste of time.


	25. Chapter 25

The Arising

Chapter 25.

Leokoni grinned the moment Dinsoneis flew into the throne room and gently landed upon the floor. His large wings folded behind him and he went down on one knee as he presented the bag of materials to his lord.

Leokoni checked the contents of the bag and grinned in pleasure. "You have done well, Dinsoneis. I knew I could count on your competence to do the job."

"Thank you, my lord. I am pleased to have served you well."

"You may go now."

Dinsoneis rose to his feet and quickly vanished from the room as Leokoni took the bag and disappeared through a panel in the wall to the left of his throne. He entered into a small rounded room filled with shelves of glass jars and black glass bowls. There was a firestone burning in the center of the room, just above a small table. To the back of the room was a shelf filled with ancient spell books. It was there that Leokoni headed to. He took down a particular book and laid it open upon the table, then quickly waved his hand in the air. A bowl quickly flew from the shelf and landed on the table before him.

He emptied the contents of the bag out onto the table. There was the three slugs, the blood of the bat, the hear of the lion, the two poisonous berries, and the bones of the cheetah. Each of these would produce two kinds of spell. The first spell was to overtake the mind of Rowen. Earlier he had sent Yata to deal with Rowen, by causing his will and mind to weaken. Since then, Rowen had been in a stupor.

Quickly, he mixed the first ingredients together, the heart of the lion, the bones of the cheetah, and the two poisonous berries into the glass bowl, and with his own finger, mixed the contents together. As the contents were mixing, he began to read from his book, chanting an ancient spell in Latin. The contents began to glow a thick golden yellow color as mist seeped into it. When at last the color changed from golden yellow to a thick brown color, it was at last complete.

Leokoni summoned a bottle and a ladle to him. When they arrived before him, he uncorked the bottle and used the ladle to pour some of the contents into the bottle. Replacing the cork into the bottle, he quickly set it off to one side, then turned back to the last ingredients. Scooping up the three slugs and the heart of the bat, he entered them into the potion of the glass bowl and stirred them into it. Whispering a different spell brought the effect of a deep green color. When at last the color changed from purple to black, it was finished.

Getting another bottle, he quickly scooped some of it into it, then corked it off. Staring down at the two bottles, he grinned in satisfaction. Tonight, his revenge would be completed.

Quickly tucking one bottle into the pocket of his robe, he held the other one in his hand and teleported out of his room, then reappeared into Rowen's cell. His keen hearing immediately caught the very low sound of breathing and the barely whispers of groans. He made his way toward the Ronin and stood before him.

"Poor Strata… it must pain you to be in that condition. What, with your friend gone, and no one here for you, you've been left in misery."

Rowen's dull blue eyes drifted toward the demon master and with every strength he could muster, grumbled, " Go to hell."

Leokoni laughed hard. "My dear boy. I shall not go to hell. I shall bring hell upon the earth, and you are going to help me."

Rowen's eyes managed to go wide, but there was little he could do to fight. He managed to shake his head, though that gave him a severe migraine and he cried out. In an instant, Leokoni quickly grabbed his chin and forced his mouth to stay open. Rowen's struggles were weak and futile as the bottle was uncorked and tipped into Rowen's open mouth. The potion poured down Rowen's throat until the bottle was completely empty.

Rowen was breathing hard and his pulse raced to a hundred and twenty beats per minute. He felt sick to his stomach, but could not vomit. Whatever the stuff was, it was making him feel lightheaded, fatigued, and agony. In one scream, Rowen's kanji flashed against his forehead and then, he went limp.

Ryo suddenly stopped when he felt something was very wrong. He didn't know what was happening but he suddenly felt a piece of himself falling away. He bit his lip, hard enough to make it bleed. He fell forward on the hill, his face smacking the ground.

"Ryo!" Cye and Kento cried out simultaneously. The two ran as fast as they could to him, with Firestorm bouncing very hard against Kento's shoulder. Star followed behind, concern registering on her face.

Cye knelt down by Ryo as Kento stood there, looking on anxiously. Star came to stand beside Cye as she wrung her hands nervously. "Is he all right?"

Cye frowned deeply. "I don't know. He checked Ryo around the face and any possible place where he might find a tender spot. Ryo, can you hear me?"

Ryo's eyes were squeezed tight. His breathing was labored and he was turning pale. "C…Cye, it..it hurts."

"Where, Ryo?" Cye was staying as calm as he could. He remembered from health class that he should not panic in what could be an emergency situation. And if he could stay calm, Ryo would not panic either.

"M… my.. ch..chest," Ryo managed to gasp out between intervals of breathing.

"Is he having a heart attack!" Star cried out apprehensively.

"I'm not sure," Cye replied. "Ryo, is your arm going numb?" Ryo shook his head, and Cye asked about dizziness, nausea, back pain, and difficulty in breathing.

"Ch..chest… and.. Ca.. can't bre..breathe."

Kento did not like this one bit. He could immediately tell that Ryo was not having a heart attack. His uncle Chin had suffered from one a few years back, and Kento remembered the symptoms that his uncle had had while during the attack. So then, what was going on with Ryo? Why did he look like he was dying?

Firestorm managed to slide off Kento and approached Ryo. She knelt next to Cye and studied Ryo's form. "Could it be an angina attack?" she asked.

"It's possible, but I'm not quite sure. Ryo has never done this before." Cye bit his lip and looked around. He saw that the cabin was not far off, but still too far to cry to Kayura to come help. No, they would have to go directly to her. She would be able to find out what was wrong with Ryo and help him. He looked at the others. "We're going to make a run for the cabin."

"Think we'll make it?" Kento asked apprehensively.

Cye was picking up a groaning Ryo and putting him over his shoulder. "We've got to."

Firestorm suddenly stiffened as her nose caught a different scent. She turned her head and was the first to notice some stranger with long black hair and midnight blue eyes approaching them. "Who are you?" Her question caught the attention of the other Ronins and they watched in silence as the stranger came forth.

"My name is Akura," the stranger replied. "I have noticed your friend suffering from what is known as the Osum."

"I never heard of that before," Cye said with a frown. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the stranger and he felt something was not right. But what was it about this stranger that he did not completely trust?

"Osum," Akura stated, "is a sickness that causes the victim to suffer needlessly with the pain and difficult breathing. Literally, your friend's lungs are slowly collapsing. And if not treated, he will slowly suffocate to death."

The Ronins frowned deeply at this as their eyes looked at Ryo upon Cye's shoulder. The Ronin leader was a sickly pale. Sweat was pouring down his face and he was now starting to shake a bit.

"So what can we do about it?" Star asked with fear in her voice. "We have to get him to Kayura!"

"I do not know this Kayura," Akura stated, "but I can help your friend."

"You can?" Kento asked, eagerly. "That's great!"

"I don't think….," Cye began to say, when he suddenly caught sight of Akura's eyes. He suddenly forgot what he wanted to say and stood there quietly.

"It is alright," Akura said with a smile. Cye nodded, silently. He laid Ryo down on the ground and watched numbly as Akura took a potion bottle from his robes and opened it. He poured it down Ryo's throat until the last drop of it was gone. He closed the bottle again and stood up "Your friend will be fine soon. Now I must leave you. Good day." And saying no more, he turned and simply walked off.

"That's a relief," Kento said. "I thought Ryo was a goner!"

"Yeah. That Akura came just in the nick of time!" Star gushed, then she noticed Cye's solemn look. "Cye, is something wrong?"

Cye shook his head. "Oh, nothing. Come on. Let's get back to the cabin. We can see how Sage is doing. Maybe Kayura was able to cure him by now." He picked Ryo up once more and put him over a shoulder again. And saying no more, he led the way.

Sage opened his eyes and sat up with a gasp. His eyes were wide and he looked frantic as he threw the blankets off his body. Mia immediately turned to see him and she gasped. "Sage! You're awake! How do you feel?"

Sage shook his head as he staggered off the bed. "Mia, there's no time. Ryo's in danger!"

Mia's eyes widen even more as she could not believe what she had just heard. How could Ryo be in danger? It was Rowen who needed to be helped! "What do you mean?" she asked with a frown. "Ryo is with the other Ronins. They've gone to find a cure for you. Sage!"

Sage felt so weak and frightened. He could feel within his soul that something had happened to Ryo and if he wasn't gotten to soon, it could prove disastrous. He slumped to his knee as he felt so cold. He was so lost within his own world that he did not even hear Mia crying out for Kayura.

"Why is he out of bed!" Kayura demanded as she knelt down by Sage's side.

"How should I know?" Mia snapped back. "He was crying about Ryo being in danger and got out of bed!" She bit her lip worriedly as Kayura bodily lifted Sage and put him back into bed. Immediately Sage began to struggle against her. She easily held him down preventing his escape.

"Let me up! Ryo needs me!"

"You are going nowhere, Sage Date," Kayura said firmly. "As for Ryo, I will go out and find him and the others. You are too sick to go anywhere. You will be doing more harm than good right now."

Sage could feel himself getting drowsy, but he complained. "Kayura, you're such a b… itch…"

Kayura smiled sadly down at his sleeping form. "I love you too, Sage." She stood up and looked at Mia. "I'm going to find the Ronins. Stay with him and make sure he doesn't attempt to get out of this bed."

"Alright," Mia said. "Hurry back."

Akura landed with a silent thump on the floor before the throne. His disguise vanished, revealing a large white demon with flowing black hair to his waist. "My lord, it is done!" he announced in a loud voice.

Leokoni's eyes burned with pleasure. Earlier, he had sent Akura out to deposit the potion among the Ronins, knowing the demon's ability to manipulate humans. He knew which Ronin he wanted to suffer from the effects of it. Ryo of the Wildfire.

With Ryo of the Wildfire out of the way, there was no chance the Ronins would be able to call forth the Inferno Armor. This would ensure that everything the demon master had planned would go correctly.

"Well done, Akura," Leokoni said. "I am most pleased you have done well. Now we shall send our new prize out to battle for us. We will see how well he responds to his master's commands, by sending him to join his new brother in our war against the Ronins."

Akura nodded and bowed. "Yes, master, and may your plan succeed."

Leokoni gave an evil grin. "Oh, it will. It definitely will." Akura left then, and the demon master teleported away to the dungeons. Chained to the floor was a hideous hairy beast. It stood on hulking hind legs, its forearms were long and muscular. Claws rippled with power. The snout of the beast was board with overlapping razor like jaws. Two blue eyes peered out at the demon master as the beast let out an angry roar and fought against the chains.

Leokoni smiled. "Ah, my pet. You seek out blood. That is good. And tonight, you shall feast!" He snapped his fingers, releasing the beast from the chains. "Go and join your brother and destroy the Ronins! Feast upon their bodies!"

The beast went down on all fours immediately and with a vicious snarl, raced off down the hall and vanished into the darkness.


	26. Chapter 26

The Arising

Chapter 26

Cye was getting a bad feeling. He had no idea what exactly was going on, but something told him Ryo was much worse than before. Looking down at his leader, he could see that Ryo was no longer suffering from chest pain, but there was something else there. But what exactly? The man called Akura had said that Ryo would be all right, but Cye could sense Ryo's aura was growing darker. There must have been a reason for it. Studying Ryo's sleeping face he noticed the contorting of it. The Ronin of Wildfire was making growls within his throat and his eyebrows arched and narrowed. He was beginning to pant even more as if he were a greyhound just done with a race.

"Guys! Something's wrong with Ryo!" Cye's alarmed voice caused the others to stop in their tracks and they looked back.

"Again?" Kento said in disbelief. "I thought Akura healed him!"

"So did I!" Firestorm exclaimed as she managed to use Kento's distraction to release herself. Standing on the ground now, she came closer to Ryo who was starting to thrash in Cye's arms. The Ronin of Torrent had no choice but to put him down.

"What is going on with him?" Star desperately wondered. "He looks worse than before!"

"I don't know," Cye said softly as he watched Ryo helplessly. "But I do know there was something about that Akura I did not trust."

Firestorm bent down toward Ryo and began to sniff him. Curling her lip in disgust she reeled back from him. "You had a right to be suspicious, Cye. Ryo's got demon hands written all over him."

"You can actually smell that?" Kento said with his eyebrows raised.

Firestorm nodded. "Yeah, any dragon can smell demon scent. It's one of the best things about having a sense of smell greater than normal humans."

"So what do we do?" Star demanded. "We can't leave Ryo here, but who knows what will become of him or even us if we take him with us!"

"We're not leaving Ryo behind!" Kento roared.

Star flinched slightly, but she did not show that Kento had frightened her. Wringing her hands she looked nervously about, wondering the consequences and wondering how on earth they would manage.

"We're not leaving Ryo behind," Cye stated firmly as well. He was trying to think of what they could do, but so far nothing came to his mind. If only he had Rowen's intellect, then perhaps he would discover some loophole in this mess.

"Then let's just take him with us! Whatever's wrong with him, Kayura can fix it," Kento stated with authority as he moved forward to pick up Ryo. However, the moment his hands reached toward Wildfire, a hand reached out and knocked it away. Kento yelped in surprise and discovered with alarm the blood on the back of his hand.

Cye's eyes widened with shock as he could not believe his eyes. This had to be a nightmare. Looking more closely, he could see the long sharp claws jutting from where Ryo's short nails used to be.

Star immediately sought to find something to bind Kento's injury as more blood seemed to pour from it. Finding a pistachio plant, she tore the leaves off the stem and somehow managed to bind them over the injuries. Kento smiled gratefully at her, and she smiled back, but their attention was taken away from them.

Slowly climbing to his feet and growling and snarling was Ryo. His tiger blue eyes had swirls of flames within them, but his body was grotesquely transforming. The light of the moon shone on Ryo, slightly blinding the eyes of the others. None of them had ever known the moon to be so bright.

Their eyes widened to see Ryo's arms shortening slightly, but growing more thick. His legs began to bend outward, shortening as well, and growing thick at the same time. His neck widened and his torso and ribs began to expand outward and suck in more. He went down on all fours, his forearms slightly raised higher than the hind legs. His head began to narrow back and a short wide muzzle grew upon his face. His eyes widened slightly, becoming almond shaped with the irises as slits.

Large rounded ears appeared on either side of his head and black whiskers appeared from either side of his muzzle. A tail of long thick spikes came forth and at once thick white fur with black spots and patches grew all over him. A mighty roar from the mouth sent the Ronins tumbling back.

Kayura raced through the woods as quickly as the Armor of Cruelty would carry her. Moments upon leaving, White Blaze had ran from behind the cabin, determined to go with her, but she had firmly forbidden. "White Blaze," she had said, "you must stay and protect Mia and Halo. Danger lurks about, and you're the only one capable." Thankfully, the tiger had obeyed and Kayura continued dodging through the woods, allowing the armor to guide her.

The light of the moon to continue to shine forth its brightness and she pondered the reason. Something was brewing and she did not appreciate it one bit. She did not wish to say she was frightened, but she did anticipate something dreadful. Then hearing the roar she turned her head. Too late! Something large and powerful struck her down. Its heavy weight bore against her, driving her to the ground. Sharp claws dug through the armor, emitting a cry of pain from her.

She raised her arms and crossed them in self defense as her eyes beheld a wolf like creature. She could tell it wasn't a werewolf, because the anatomy was slightly different. Its neck was too short and thick, its frame was too wide, and its forelegs and hind legs were evenly matched, though one pair was more muscular.. Its snout did resemble that of a wolf's, but two blue eyes glared down at her. Werewolves were known to have golden or yellow eyes. Sometimes they had green eyes.

Her eyes took on a look of recognition. "Rowen!" she gasped in surprised. The beast snarled at her, then suddenly propelled itself off her. It leapt through several trees and bounded away into the darkness of the woods. Kayura painfully got to her feet and took off after him. "Rowen! Wait! Rowen!" But all that returned her desperate cries was a fierce growl, and then silence.

Kayura did not waste any time. Her decision had been made. Running as fast as she could, she begged the armor to guide her to Rowen. For wherever Rowen was heading, the Ronins were sure to be at the end of the trail. She could only hope she was not too late.

Brushing past several trees and plants she could sense she was getting closer. The scent of the Ronin armors was causing her own to react and she felt compelled to quicken her speed. Upon doing so, she came to a clearing and soon looking above a hill, she could see silhouettes, four human looking ones, and an oddly shaped one. Then looking more closely, she could see the same creature who had attacked her. It was running up the hill, snarling dangerously, its tail stuck straight out, guiding him upward. "Rowen!"

She summoned more of Cruelty's power and sped toward the hill. She knew it would be dangerous, but she would have to tackle Rowen if she wanted to save him and the others. She was gaining on him and he must have known. For he had suddenly increased his speed and was nearly at the edge of the hill. Soon he would be over it. Kayura bit her lip and then decided to take a chance. If her calculations were precise she would be able to tackle him and give the Ronins more time to fight against the second creature.

Crouching down, she hesitated a moment, then suddenly sprang directly into the air. Leaping to a staggering height of twenty feet, she somersaulted forward in the air several times, coming down at a fast rate of speed. Within seconds of her jump, she quickly landed upon Rowen and tackled him to the ground.

Rowen roared and arched his back several times, desperate to buck her off. She clung fiercely to his thick fur as she attempted to wrestle him down to the ground. This caught the attention of the Ronins. More shock came about and darkness seemed to settle all around them. Now there were two dangerous creatures, Ryo who about ready to attack, and another strange one that Kayura was desperately fighting.

"Kayura!" Kento yelled.

Kayura dared not look up. "It's Rowen!" she called back, using her own strength and the strength of the Cruelty Armor to fight against Rowen. She had to admit this new form made him so much stronger.

"Say what!"

The Ronins were in disbelief once again, but looking back at Ryo they knew it was true. This had been a set up. Not only did Leokoni turn their captured friend into a beast, but he had done the same thing to Ryo.

Kento balled his hand into a fist and growled lowly and dangerously. "He'll pay! That bastard will pay for this!"

"But what can we do about it!" Firestorm cried out. Her heart was thumping with fear, something she'd rather not admit. Sweat beaded down her face and she tried her best to look inconspicuous.

"I wish I knew!" Kayura yelled back as she continued to fight. "But without the antidote I can do nothing!"

"But we can't let them stay like this!" Cye cried out. Time was running out, and Ryo looked all too eager to attack them. For he was slowly going around circles, snapping and growling at them.

"And we won't!" Kayura replied. Suddenly, Rowen flopped down and then began to roll over. Knowing this was a cunning trick to make her release him, she held on and bore the pain as he rolled over on top of her.

Furious his plan had not worked, Rowen roughly shook himself. Kayura flopped about like a stubborn leaf, but still clung on. She was determined to keep trying to reach him.

"Rowen! Remember who you are! This isn't you! You're our friend! You must see that we care about you!"

The only reply she got was a roar.

Cye was trying the same thing with Ryo, hoping Ryo would recognize him and the others. "Ryo, it's us! Your friends! Don't you recognize us? Please, Ryo, you have to remember! The Ronin Warriors!"

But words reached upon deaf ears. Ryo roared again and once again they were blown backward. Kento came to a stop and dusted himself off, his expression none too happy. "Now I know how a rag doll feels."

"That's it!" Firestorm yelled in rage. "I've had it!" Dark clouds suddenly overcame the sky and her aura began to glow brightly.

"Firestorm, you mustn't!" Star begged. "You can't attack them!"

"But they'll kill us!" Firestorm argued. "They must be stopped!"

"NO! Star yelled back with determination. "There's another way! I know there is!"

Time was running out as they knew. The moon continued to shine forth its rays, always on Ryo. Cye began to notice something. Each time the moon was at its brightest, Ryo looked ready to pounce. However when a dark cloud overlapped the moon, he backed off, seemingly confused at what he was to do. Could the moon be controlling Ryo in ways they knew not?

Firestorm had managed to calm herself down, and her dragon transformation did not happen. She clenched and unclenched her fists, slowly allowing her anger and fear to calm down. The dark clouds began to dissolve away.

Then without warning, the light of the full moon bathed Ryo in the brightness of its light. With a mighty roar he suddenly sprang forward and attacked Kento again. Kento yelled in surprise and began to thrash violently. Using his arm he managed to keep Ryo from biting into his face. He could feel the fangs biting through his subarmor and he gritted his teeth in pain.

Cye tackled Ryo from behind, hoping to distract him. But just as he suddenly leapt upon him, Ryo's tail reacted much like that of a porcupine. Several sharp spikes released and Cye quickly released his hold and managed to side flip out of the way. New spikes grew in place of the old ones, only this time they were larger.

Star desperately looked for something strong and sturdy to knock Ryo off Kento, but her eyes found nothing useful. Would they have to call forth their full armors and attack with their surekills? She silently begged that would not need to happen, but she was slowly beginning to see there was no other choice. With Rowen fighting viciously against Kayura and with Kento struggling desperately against Ryo there seemed to be no hope. Could this really be the end?

Mia felt relaxed, more than she did before. Sage laid there on the cot, sound asleep and she busied herself with a fashion magazine. Normally she would be typing away at her computer, but with Rowen's sudden abduction and their flight to find Kayura, she hadn't the time to take her laptop. Still she worried about the Ronins and Kayura. She knew they could handle themselves, but anything could go wrong.

Her attention was taken away by sounds of moaning and thrashing. She looked over toward Sage and frowned. _'Could he be having another nightmare?' _she wondered. She was about to go toward him to try and sooth him, but suddenly gasped in shock as Sage abruptly opened his eyes once again. Without saying a word he quickly jumped off the cot and started for the door. Mia immediately went after him. "Sage, where are you going? Get back in bed!"

Sage stopped for a moment and looked back at her with a small smile. "I'm sorry, Mia, but I must go! The Ronins are in danger and I'll be damned if I don't do anything about it!"

Mia bit her lip, but knew any argument she had would quickly be silenced. Without another word, Sage of Halo threw open the door and raced out.

Mia made her mind up then. No way was she staying behind. "White Blaze!"

The tiger came quickly and she swung herself over his back. "Follow Sage, White Blaze!"

The tiger sprang forward out the door, following quickly after Sage's scent as Mia held on. She had no idea what help she could offer, but perhaps something would come to her mind. She only hoped she would not be causing more harm than good.


	27. Chapter 27

The Arising

Chapter 27.

Yata was watching the exotic fight between the Ronins. He had secretly been watching their battle through the thick trees of the forest, his eyes lighting each time one of the normal Ronins would fail to get a good grasp on the cursed Ronins. He almost cheered when the cursed Ryo nearly tore the throat out of Kento and grumbled when Star managed to stop him in time.

Upon further watching he discovered that Sage was on his way toward them. How had this been possible? Leokoni had purposefully made sure he had been taken care of. But no, here he was running full speed in subarmor. How had he gotten better so suddenly!

His head turned back around when he suddenly saw Kayura arrive. His mouth dropped open. How did she arrive there so unnoticeable!

Kayura's fighting instincts took over the moment Cye had been knocked down by Rowen. Her staff flew out from before her and struck the creature hard on the head. He roared with pain and his long claws lashed out. She held the Staff of the Ancients crossways against her chest, fending him off. Rowen had grown remarkably stronger as a cursed beast, and she feared if given the chance he would claw her to shreds.

Cye rolled out of the way as quickly as he could and then leapt to his feet. He viciously shook his head. "This is insane! How can we expect to fight them!"

Ryo suddenly attacked Firestorm, knocking her backward, his muzzle and strong teeth going for her throat. She viciously fought back, but her strength was no match for his. All she could do was keep pushing at his muzzle, in an attempt to keep him from chopping down on her throat.

Kento took his weapon and twirled it around his hand and suddenly brought it across Ryo's jaws. He was knocked backward several feet where he landed in a heap upon the ground.

Kento watched him closely, almost fearing that he had killed his leader. He held his breath for several long minutes, almost unaware of the fighting going on around him. But then without warning, the beast rose to his feet, shakily, baring fangs as saliva dripped to the ground. The head turned and the eyes, those familiar tiger blue eyes, stared so coldly at Kento he felt his blood turn icy.

"Man, Cye's right.. This is nuts," he said as fear was evident in his voice.

"We cannot give into our fears!" Kayura chided as she flipped into the air and landed behind Rowen. She called forth her armor then and took her kursari-gama and brought it up against the creature's neck, pulling him back as she whispered into his ears. "Rowen, I know you're in there somewhere. I know you can also hear me. You need to fight it, Rowen.. Leokoni cursed you… made you something you are not. Fight it, Rowen!"

Rowen continued to snarl and snap as he tried to break loose from the kursari-gama holding him. He shook his head violently as his claws attempted to pull the weapon away from his neck. His tail swished from side to side in irritation. Seeing this was not working, he strained himself to go forward, in an attempt to pull Kayura onto his back. If somehow he could make her lose her balance, he would have a better chance of getting away from her hold.

Kayura sensed this immediately and knew if he got her where he wanted her, her life would be forfeit to him. She could not let that happen.

Ryo crouched down and then suddenly leapt into the air. His claws stretched out and as he flew through the air he aimed toward Star. Star screamed and suddenly back flipped several times away from him. Her body twisted into the air as she leapt out of the way and she landed safely in a tree. The cursed leader of the Ronins landed on the ground below it and snarled up at her. He stood on his hind legs and began to tear at the bark with his claws.

Suddenly the area surrounding Ryo and Star darkened. Ryo got down on all fours again and whined somewhat. His head dropped slightly and he turned to look beyond his shoulder. Astonishingly, but not quite, Kento had suddenly leapt into the air with his nanginta high over his head. His armored form blocked the moon's rays as he charged right at Ryo.

"Sorry, Ryo!" And without a further word, the Hardrock bearer brought down his nanginta down on top of Ryo's head.

"Kento!" Star cried out as she stared in disbelief.

Kento did not answer, but watched as the cursed Ronin of Wildfire seemed to wobble on his feet. He growled lowly and shook his head. Another growl came from his throat and he took a step forward. Kento backed up, cautiously keeping his eyes on him. And then the beast fell over on his side.

Kento sighed in relief and lowered his nanginta. He approached Ryo's prone form and checked him. Other than a nasty knot on the top of the head, there seemed to be no acute injury. He looked up at Star who stared down anxiously. "He's fine, but he'll have a major headache in the…."

The last word never made it out of Kento's mouth. Ryo's eyes snapped open and he twisted his body in a fierce snarl as his fangs and claws sought out Kento's neck. Kento cried out in surprise as the two of them flew back several feet with Ryo trying to rip his throat out.

"Leave him alone!"

Star's eyes widened even more when she recognized that voice. How could he? But when did he? She shook her head slowly as she watched Sage do a wild twist in the air, bringing his left knee up as his other leg shot straight out. His foot collided with the side of Ryo's neck, sending him flying sideways.

Kento twisted and leapt to his feet, his mouth hanging open as he couldn't believe his eyes. "Sage!"

Sage was breathing slightly hard and some pain was evident in his features. He stood his ground as he kept his eyes on Ryo. "Kento, we need to find a way to bring Ryo and Rowen back to their normal selves."

"Yeah, but how?" Kento asked, bewildered as he turned to look back at Ryo again. The beast had struggled to his feet. He snarled at the two normal Ronins, now seemingly forgetting about the third one in the tree.

"I don't know," Sage replied as he did not avert his attention from Ryo.

Firestorm wasn't sure what to do at all. She was getting angry, but fear was also evident in her eyes. She looked desperately at Cye, wondering if he knew the answer to that dreaded question. There had to be a way to stop what was happening.

Cye grimaced. He knew Firestorm was expecting him to know the answer, but the fact of the matter was, he did not. Never before had the Ronins gone through this before. Their greatest challenge had been when they had faced Makura long ago. If only the answer would appear right before their eyes. They could use all the knowledge they could get. The problem they had, was finding it.

"Cye, what are we going to do?" Firestorm finally asked the question as she kept her eyes on the two scenes. Kayura was still fending off Rowen, and Kento and Sage and Star were keeping their eyes on Ryo. Both creatures looked to be blood hungry.

"I wish I knew," Cye admitted. "This is the worst we've ever been through."  
"Please tell me you're joking!" Firestorm cried out, desperately.

Cye shook his head, biting his bottom lip. "I have no reason to joke about something like this."

Rowen suddenly pulled back a limb and razor sharp claws suddenly knocked away Kayura's weapon. Now weaponless, Kayura immediately did a one legged back flip, while at the same time bringing her other armored boot directly under his chin.

The beast growled with pain as he tumbled head over heels and landed a few feet away on his side. He struggled to his feet and raised his head. His long muzzle opened and saber tooth fangs appeared glistening with saliva. His eyes held only one warning within them: Death.

Yata decided he had seen enough. He leapt from his spot and dove right into the ground at a fast speed. The hole he had created while dive bombing through the crust quickly closed up leaving no evidence behind.

He traveled through the ground at a fast speed and just as he reached past the ceiling of the lair, his wings spread open and he glided easily onto the floor. His wings then folded around his small knobby frame and he quickly headed off to the dungeon area.

The soul of Rowen's father was by now a sick yellow color. His head hung down, his chin resting on his chest. Several holes could be seen through his form and raspy breathing, if it could be called that, was heard echoing across the room.

Yata came up to the bars, ignoring the sweltering heat the electricity caused, which also emitted sparks of fire here and there. He eyed the tormented soul, not speaking nor moving. He really did not see the purpose of keeping this soul for so long. Often he would believe the soul should be destroyed, but knowing Leokoni wanted the soul to slowly be destroyed through pain, misery, and suffering.

Yata went into the cell and came to stand below Mr. Hashiba, a cold look upon his face as he stared up at him. "Not doing too well are you?" the small demon sneered. "Too bad."

The soul barely raised his head from his chest, but his eyes he managed to lift to behold the demon. "Yata," he hissed through clenched teeth. Spasms of pain coursed through his body and had he been alive he would have wished in vain for immediate death.

"Leokoni has done your son in, Hashiba," Yata boasted as he crossed his arms against his chest. He wore a smirk on his face, but inwardly fidgeted now and then.

"Rowen is still alive," Mr. Hashiba returned with a stubborn hint of disbelief. "I refuse to believe that monster could get the best of my son."

"Oh, your son?" Yata raised his eyebrows with an impish grin upon his face. "If I recall correctly, in your life he wasn't much of a son. But then… you weren't much of a father now were you?"

Mr. Hashiba frowned as the guilt struck like a sharp blade. Tears ran from the corners of his eyes as he was forced to remember all the times he had beaten his son. At any time Rowen could have killed him, but never did. Now looking back, the soul realized why Rowen hadn't killed him. Rowen had indeed loved his father. Loved him enough to not fight back, in hopes his father may change and see the evil he was doing. Mr. Hashiba was ashamed, very ashamed.

Mia watched in horror at the sight of her friends fighting the two vicious looking creatures. White Blaze roared and immediately charged toward Ryo. She screamed his name and held her face in her hands with horror.

White Blaze immediately knocked his cursed charge down, growling deep from within his throat. He did not wish to harm Ryo, but rather subdue him. He could feel him struggling, the warning growls for the tiger to get off him. White Blaze roared mightily, shaking the surrounding trees of the area.

Ryo struggled and fought to disengage the large white tiger off him. He tried to twist his body around so he could claw in defense, but his front claws barely reached. He roared angrily, demanding through body language the tiger get off him. But White Blaze held on tight, keeping his leader pinned down to the ground.

Sage watched, his violet eyes widening as his mouth opened slightly in shock. Never before had  
White Blaze dared to attack Ryo. But this time was different. An idea suddenly came to him. Concentrating on Halo he connected to Ryo's mind. _'Ryo… I know you can hear me.. It's me, Sage.. Remember?'_

Surprisingly still, Ryo's voice returned back to him. But it was full of pain and misery. _'Sage, it hurts so much.. I want to stop attacking… but there's a force… I cannot fight it. What's happening to me, Sage?'_

'Ryo, you were cursed.. We believe it was by Leokoni. We don't know why he cursed you. Possibly so you could not call forth the Inferno. He cursed Rowen too.'

'That bastard.'

'Fight it, Ryo.. We want to help you,' Sage told him, his eyes beholding tears.

A loud agonizing roar came from deep within Ryo's throat. He then slumped to the ground and became submissive under his own tiger. No longer did he dare fight back. But deep inside, he was fighting against himself. Fighting to keep himself from attacking and destroying his very own friends.


	28. Chapter 28

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A/N: I apologize for the short chapter last time as it is not my usual. I also apologize if last chapter seemed a bit rushed. Hopefully this longer chapter will make up for it.

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The Arising

Chapter 28

Leokoni could see what was happening. His keen eyes could well see past the dirt, cables, pipes, buried bones, and more. They flared the moment Halo was seen. How the hell did he get well all of the sudden? His power had been far too grand for any mortal to suddenly heal themselves. No, something else was going on here. And now that Halo was there, both Rowen and Ryo were as soon as free from his grasp. Oh no. That was not going to happen.

He raised his arms and closed his eyes and began to chant. "Omi dosu cantori desu!" Above ground, the skies began to turn pitch dark with gargantuan black clouds forming. Faster and faster they grew, rising more and more. Lightning flashed all around a few times and then a terrible wind began to blow.

The Ronins were suddenly shocked to see the instant change in weather. Just moments ago it had been a clear night, but now the forces of nature had turned deadly it seemed. Kayura frowned at the weather and in her heart knew immediately something wasn't right.

"Kayura!" Mia shouted to her, daring to let her presence be known. "What's going on here!"

Kayura looked startled to see Mia. At first the priestess wanted to ask what she was doing there and how could she have let Sage come after them in his condition. But she decided against it though. There was no time for arguments.

"This windstorm!" Kayura answered as the wind picked up most ferociously. "It is unlike any I've ever seen. There's a undesirable darkness in the midst of this!"

"Well, that's terrific!" Firestorm snorted sarcastically. She flinched when a loud crack of thunder sounded overhead.

It was more than terrific. As Leokoni continued to pour his power into the storm, the two cursed Ronins began to glow. They did not glow their respective colors, but rather they glowed a dark gold color.

Rowen threw his head back and howled in terrible pain while Ryo arched his back, roaring in agony. This caught the others attention immediately. Horror came upon their faces as the sudden realization came upon them. This storm was to bring more evil into the heart of their friends.

"Ryo!" Sage cried out in alarm as he dared to step closer. "Fight it!"

Ryo did not answer him, but only continued to arch his back, his roar piercing the night time sky. Cye covered his ears as he winced. This was not right. They were not suppose to be fighting their friends. He could see what Sage was doing, but he had a bad feeling. And that feeling was growing stronger.

Kento frowned deeply as he watched as Rowen continued to howl in pain. Sympathy and concern were laced in his features as he dared to take a step closer toward his friend. He kept his eyes on the poor disfigured creature as Rowen thrashed about on the ground. Never before had he seen his friends go through such pain, not since Ryo had suffered at the hands of Sarenbou. He wanted it to end, wanted his friends to be back to normal. Why did this happen? For what reason? Had they not suffered enough? It just wasn't fair.

He bit his lip, hoping that maybe if he let Rowen peer into his eyes some recognition could be seen within them. He continued to keep his eyes on Rowen, watching for any sudden changes of movement or behavior. So far, the cursed Ronin was still howling in pain. It hurt Kento's ears, but he didn't care.. Maybe the Ronin power could take away his pain and fear.

Sage was still trying to reach through Ryo, but his audible voice did not seem to reach through to his friend. He decided to try the link again. It had worked once before, perhaps it would work again. _'Ryo, please… fight it! Leokoni is doing everything in his power to corrupt you! Don't let him do that!'_

Ryo did not answer. He could feel the evil crushing his being and it frightened him. What was happening to him? He was once a Ronin of Wildfire, but was now a terrifying wild cat creature. Pain laced through him like nothing he ever felt before. His entire body convulsed violently as if his very soul were being ripped from him. He wanted to roar in agony, but suddenly he was without a voice. He tried to open his mouth, but the pain laced through him like poisoned fire. He mentally screamed, but when he did, the pain became unbearable.

Cye wanted to scream as well. He could not stand the thought of his friends suffering so terribly that there was nothing any of them could do. How could they help Ryo and Rowen, when the Ancient One was long gone? Not even Kayura seemed to know what to do. There had to be a way this could all end without shedding more pain.

But there seemed to be no way whatsoever. And why not? Why did his two friends have to suffer? Ryo had suffered so much with the Inferno armor, and Rowen…. '_I hope things don't get any worse than they are now,'_ Cye thought to himself fearfully.

Star turned frantically to Kayura as the tears raced down her cheeks. She couldn't understand why nothing was being done. Why wasn't Kayura using her Ancient Powers to help the two Ronins? She turned to the older woman and practically demanded, "Kayura! Why can't you help them!"

"Believe me, I want to!" Kayura shouted back. She was frustrated because she felt so much at a loss. What could she do? Any other time she would have been able to figure it out, but not even the Staff of the Ancients seemed to be able to undo the curse. But why though?

"But why not!" Star was almost on the verge of sobbing, even as the wind was still going strong. By now tree branches were breaking off and were tumbling across the area. The Ronins were contending with trying to keep from being hit by flying objects, and trying to deal with their two friends. It was not an easy task.

"I'm not sure why not!" Kayura yelled back, so she could be heard. The wind was now stronger, the roar of it; above her own voice. She did want to know why she couldn't help the two Ronins. She had always thought, after seeing the power of the Ancient Staff, that it should've been able to turn things around. Why not this time? What was she missing from here? She wanted to beseech the Ancient; her ancestor, for his wisdom and advice… wait.. Wisdom…. Sage!

Kayura turned her head toward the Ronin of Halo. He was struggling with Ryo, trying to reach out to him. So far it seemed to be working because Ryo wasn't attacking him. Then again, with the pain Ryo looked like he was in, it was doubtful he wanted to attack. But what about Rowen? Kayura briefed a quick glance toward him. It was amazing and sadder still how he could be in all that pain and still attack his friends. Firestorm and Cye were now wrestling against him as she could see. It had to have been the curse.

Thinking of the curse, she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted at Sage. "SAGE! FIND A WAY TO BREAK THE SPELL! USE HALO!"

Sage could barely hear Kayura so he shouted back for her to repeat what she said. He listened carefully, straining his ears so he could hear better. Again her voice shouted back to him, and this time he made out what she said. Use Halo. He immediately drew his nodatchi. The glow of the sword was a sharp welcome sight to the darkness surrounding them.

He held it straight up, his eyes closed. The light glowed intensely, breaking through darkness as if fog were being driven away. His armor began to glow as well, making him stand out against the eternal darkness..

The darkness seemed to shriek in terror. It would come closer, then back off. It would break into separate particles before coming back together for another vicious attack. It was as if there was a stalemate and it was hard to determine who the victor would be. Sage: or the darkness of hell.

Rowen shrieked from the intense light as he ducked his head down. Even the rapid wind did not bother him so much as this atrocity. He wanted to flee from it, yet wanted to attack as his master had ordered. He could sense that something was about to happen, and he didn't know what exactly. Even if the wind was not strong enough to blow them all away, it was still frightening to his cursed mind. He howled into the air and made yapping sounds.

Star winced as she covered her ears. Such an awful sound. It was high pitched and piercing. Looking toward Rowen she could see his head tilted toward the sky while the lower half of his body cowered against the windstorm. Never before had she seen him afraid, except when he was dealing with losing a loved one or when he was dealing with the abuse from his father. Her heart was torn in anguish for him and she knew that there was one being responsible for this entire mess. And already Sage was working on it to break the spell.

Glancing toward Kayura, Star shouted as loud as she could, "Kayura, I think Leokoni is doing this!"

Kayura could barely hear her, but when Star's voice came again, she made out her words and replied back the same way. "I believe you are right! We have to find out where he is to stop him!"

Kento was beside Kayura so he could hear her just fine. Looking at her with disbelief, he asked, "How do you suppose we do that? We're like sitting ducks here!" He kept his eyes on both Ryo and Rowen who now seemed more interested in themselves and the wind storm. If Rowen wasn't cursed he could have easily taken control of this storm.

"Sage is seeking a way now," Kayura replied as she glanced from Kento toward Sage. The battle between light and darkness was still underway and neither seemed relenting. Each time Sage struck out the light, the darkness would back off, then retaliate. But Sage was not giving up. He had a fierce look of determination on his face and his kanji was flashing wildly upon his forehead. Kayura was proud of the fact that he was trying so hard and she believed he would pull it off.

Leokoni could see this as well and his eyes narrowed. He knew Sage had escaped him once, but this time he would not. He would have to come up with an alternative to stop the Ronin of Light in his tracks. But to knock down Halo, he would first have to take over Ryo's mind again and quench Rowen's fear of the wind. This was going to be relatively easy for him. But he would need to keep the other Ronins out of his way before he could put his full plan into action.

Turning toward Ryo, he could see the cursed Wildfire struggling against himself. He looked as if he did not know whether to fight against the storm, his friends, or just cower there within the confides of his confused mind.

He spoke to Ryo's mind, making it seem as if Mia was struggling against her own inner thoughts. Using another's voice as his own was quite easy for him, and he knew that if Mia's thoughts were heard by Ryo, he would believe anything that was said. Even though in his beast form, Ryo seemed to harbor some feelings toward the girl as she was the only one so far he hadn't thought of attacking. This would work well in Leokoni's favor.

__

'I know Ryo's in cursed form. I feel so bad for him. But I fear if I do not tell him somehow, this chance may never happened. I don't know why I kept so silent. Even after months of nightly torture."

Ryo frowned as his ears twitched. He could hear someone familiar and female within his mind. Glancing about he studied each person, seemingly forgetting about the wind, even though it continued to blow in fierceness. His eyes came upon Kayura, but she was busy watching Sage. He looked toward Star, but she had her ears covered as she stood near a howling Rowen who had by now stopped attacking. He looked toward Firestorm, but she was clutching Cye's arm and seemed genuinely afraid of what was happening. Finally his eyes rested upon Mia. She was standing there between Kento and Cye, with White Blaze nearby, eyes wide with fear and horror. She looked frozen and even seemed trouble. Then he realized what he was hearing was her voice.

Ryo struggled within his mind. Why did Mia look so interested in what was happening before their very eyes, but sounded troubled in her mind? Even if he was no longer his usual self, something didn't make sense to him.

Leokoni could sense this and he refused to allow it to stop him. He narrowed his eyes and made it seem as if Mia was occasionally glancing worriedly toward one particular Ronin Warrior. Again, he caused Ryo to hear Mia's voice within his head.

__

'I don't know how to tell Ryo.. I mean they're friends.. What if Ryo doesn't believe me? I should just keep my mouth shut. But every time I look at him now, I can still feel his hands upon me, threatening if I told anyone, he would make my life a living hell. I never knew he would behave this way. And I have no idea why. This is so hard."

Ryo frowned as he could see a shift in her look of direction. What was she talking about? His human mind struggled to comprehend this dilemma as his animal side struggled against the wind. It was still going full force at the same rate as before. Would it ever die down? He roared a little as he shook his head somewhat violently. His claws retracted again and again as confusion and despair swirled around in his head. Again he could hear Mia's voice.

__

'I know I should tell him. Maybe after this all over. But how do I? How do I tell Ryo that Cye raped me?'

That was all it took. In one great explosion of anger, the cursed form of Wildfire had forgotten what was happening around him. In a ferocious roar, he leapt from his position and immediately came down upon Cye, causing the Ronin to fall backward several feet with a cry coming from the back of his throat. Kento turned immediately and his eyes widened with horror as Firestorm stared in shock. She could not believe this was happening as Cye fought to get the beast off him. "RYO!" Cye cried in desperation, hoping his voice would bring Ryo back to his senses. But it did not work. Ryo was snarling angrily and his fangs were glistening above Cye's throat. He would make the boy pay for touching Mia in such an unwanted way.

Kento and Firestorm immediately charged for the two, determined to stop Ryo from killing Cye. However Leokoni had other plans for those two. Calling upon the ancient language from the Vikings who worshipped the Norse gods, he summoned two leviathan anacondas. Both Ronins stopped dead in their tracks and stared in amazement and fear as the snakes blocked their way.

"Oh crap," Kento said.

Firestorm made no reply, but remained frozen in place. Cye was in danger and they were blocked. How would they ever get past them to save Cye before Ryo killed him? Wasn't there any hope at all?

At the same time, Star and Kayura and Mia were watching everything with horror. Rowen was still struggling against the windstorm, Sage was still fighting the darkness, Kento and Firestorm were facing anacondas, and now Cye was struggling to the death against Ryo. Could anything else go wrong?

No, this wasn't right! Mia refused to believe they were beaten so easily just like. Tears came down her cheeks as she shook from dread and incredulity. None of this should even be happening! The Ronins should have been enjoying life like school and games and going to clubs. But no, they were reduced to fighting! Was that the only life they truly had?

Leokoni was chuckling to himself. Now that things were starting to come together, he had one order of business left. Setting his eyes upon Rowen, he spoke to his mind, using a gentle and concerned voice. '_The wind will not harm you, my dear one. It is against our enemies. You are not an enemy of mine, but rather of me. You abide in me, and I within you. We will not let our enemies partake in our goal. They want to destroy you, my beloved. You must stand against them. You must show them you are not to be used, nor lied to. They will hurt you. You cannot trust them. You can trust me.'_

Rowen stopped howling and lowered his head as his lower form straightened to a standing position. He looked this way and that way for the voice, but could see no one. Yet, he could feel a powerful voice communicating to him. He listened carefully, cocking his head as the words continued to reach his mind. Was he truly loved? In his life that was all he ever wanted. To be loved by someone and accepted for who he was. But what about this cursed form he was in? He could still feel his human side as it desperately wanted to fight against this madness.

The voice suddenly came again. '_Rowen, the form you have now, is your true form. You were my faithful creature, designed by me. I have allowed you to roam freely within my castle walls, and you guarded it quite well. But sixteen years ago, you were stolen from me. A monk came and forced you away. With his dark magic he turned you from a were dog into a human, to fight in the so called war against Talpa and his dynasty.'_

Rowen whimpered as he looked for the voice. Could this indeed be true? If it was, was that why he had experienced so much grief throughout his life? It seemed to make sense to him, and it was the only explanation he could come up with. Perhaps even his once so called friends had been used. Or maybe they were a part of his misery?

Leokoni grinned to himself. Things were working out better then he had expected. He knew at any time now, Rowen would settle with his words and rejoin him as a faithful dog. Now it was time to tend to other matters.

Kayura could not stand there and allow Ryo to kill Cye. He knew if that happened, Ryo would regret it for the rest of his life once he was normal. Leaping to her feet, she rushed toward the two. She could still hear Cye fighting against Ryo, yelling for him to stop. But his words fell upon deaf ears.

__

'If I do not hurry, Cye may very well lose his life. Then Ryo will be torn by guilt, and we may never get him back in his true form,' Kayura thought to herself as she struggled to run even faster. However she noticed she wasn't running as fast as she would have liked. She seemed to be going slow, as if her body was weighed down with iron. Why was it so? What was preventing her from getting to the Ronins? But then she realized it. '_This wind.. Leokoni's doing. I cannot let him stop me! Armor of Cruelty! Help me!'_

Gaining some strength from the armor she proceeded to go even faster, but then suddenly, it was too late. Able to see ahead of her, her eyes watched in horror as the cursed form of Ryo suddenly sank his fangs into soft flesh. A loud scream pierced through the air, catching everyone's attention.

"CYE!" Kento screamed as he took away his attention from the anacondas. The anaconda before him took this opportunity to strike at him, and he barely dodged from it in time.

Firestorm dodged as well, but ended up tripping over her own feet. Grunting with pain, she looked up and immediately rolled out of the way, as the other anaconda snapped down at her.

Star was beyond horrified as she struggled to look away from Rowen. She turned and began to run toward the site of where Cye laid unconscious on the ground, with Ryo standing directly over him. Her heart was pounding with fear as everything seemed to be falling apart. She asked the same question of why over and over again. None of this should have been happening to any of them.

Rowen raised his head just in time to see Star running. His eyes flashed and immediately he charged after her. In his cursed form he was quite fast, and in no time, he leapt into the air and upon her back. Star screamed and tried to fight him off, but that only aggravated him more. Tears flew from her eyes as she whispered, begging him not to kill her. "Please, Rowen…"

Rowen growled at her, but he made no move to bite her. He stared down at her, struggling within himself.

Hearing the screams of his friends, Sage snapped open his eyes. He was horrified to see that Kento and Firestorm were battling anacondas, Rowen was pinning down Star, Kayura was fighting against wind, Mia was frozen stiff with fear, and Cye was lying in a pool of blood with Ryo whose muzzle was covered in blood standing over him, and White Blaze staring sadly at his former master from a distance as he stood protectively next to Mia.

No, this should have never happened. He began to shake violently as the tears flew from his eyes. His throat burned and his heart beat fast and hard against his chest. His kanji was now flashing wildly against his forehead. His lips quivered and he wanted this all to be a nightmare, a horrible dream that he would wake up from any time. But it was more than a nightmare. He threw his head back and screamed in anguish. "NOOOOOOO!

Leokoni stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look toward Halo. Immediately his mouth dropped and he began to curse loudly. This could not be happening! His plan would be totally ruined! He had to find a way to stop him. But as he continued to stare in anger toward the Ronin, the immense light pouring from Halo was overwhelming and it struck through the darkness like lightning strikes a tree.

A/N: Well, I hope this chapter didn't seem too rushed. I tried to keep it from being that way as best I could. I'm actually coming close to the end of the story line. .By the way, did you know even in the Ronin Warrior version, though his symbol is called Wisdom, his kanji is actually REI, which means courtesy? And Rowen's is actually Chi, which means wisdom. But since the Ronin Warrior version has Sage's to be wisdom, and Rowen's to be life, we'll just leave it at that for now. Just remember to use the proper kanjis if you're writing the YST version.


	29. Chapter 29

**The Arising**

**Chapter 29**

Mia stared at Sage with wide eyes, her hand just barely to a slightly opened mouth. In awe she could not believe what she was seeing. Sage was glowing so brightly and his eyes had turned from violet to ice blue. How in the world did this happen? Was Halo that powerful as to pose such a great force of luminosity? It certainly seemed so. But where had Sage acquired such power?

Kento turned his head to view Sage in all his glory of light. His surprised look swiftly turned into a grin as he felt the battle had now turned. Just moments before they had been struggling through a hardship of darkness and creatures who were about to kill them. The two anacondas had hissed at the intense brightness and were backing off from attacking Firestorm and him.

Ryo roared in protest at the sudden light as he leapt back from Cye and diverted his gaze away from the direction of the light. Or at least he tried to. Now matter which way he looked, the illumination still reached him. It even reached him as he attempted to close his eyes. Shaking his head vigorously, he attempted to flee the scene.

However he discovered his body would not move. Startled he again roared and fought with all his strength to take even one step forward. But nothing happened. What was going on? Undiscovered within himself, the armor of Wildfire, which lay dormant within the depths of his very soul, had been drawn to the light of Halo. It was the soul of the armor that insisted on remaining in place.

Kayura diverted her attention away from Sage and turned her mind on Cye. Kneeling down beside the wounded Ronin she laid the staff over his bitten throat and concentrated. Whispering a prayer known only to the clan of the Ancient she begged for Cye's healing. The staff began to glow, flaring to life with its own glowing brightness. It surrounded Cye, bathing him in a warm light, and causing his own kanji to flare to life upon his forehead.

Star watched the healing take place, her breath nearly held within her. Her heartbeat had quickened and she feared another onslaught. Would Leokoni indeed attack again? She shuddered to think so. But perhaps they now had the upper hand. Could the demon lord now be defeated? She certainly hoped so.

Cye's eyes fluttered as he slowly returned to consciousness. He blinked slowly as realization hit him. "Kay.. Kayura," he slurred weakly.

"Rest now, Cye," Kayura commanded gently as she kept the staff over him. She noticed he was still quite weak and it would take some time for his cells to regenerate the blood supply to flow back into his veins to give him stamina once again. As he rested, she would guard and protect him.

Cye closed his eyes and allowed his body to rest. His subconscious told him something intense was happening, but he felt quite weak and could not even attempt to lift his head to see for himself.

Kento had seen what Kayura had done for Cye and he breathed a sigh of relief. Nudging Firestorm he directed her attention toward the two and she looked.

She was relieved as well. She may have not known Cye as well as Kento, but she felt a closeness to him unlike any other. Now turning her head back to Leokoni and upon Sage, she instantly felt anger run through her veins. "You're going down, Leokoni!" she stated brazenly.

Leokoni scowled in contempt. Here he was facing a human being who seemed to glow as bright as an angel, when another creature, a hybrid attempted to oppose him with mere words. However, at the moment, his true intent was not on her. Turning his head, he viewed Sage once again. His fists tightened into balls, his talons at the end of his fingertips pressing against the palms of his hands. He felt no pain as his rage grew near a calamity.

How had this happen? He was certain he had weakened Halo enough to where he would not be able to rise up against him. And yet, now everything was falling apart around him. Both cursed Ronins were covering their eyes, drawn to the light as it somehow relaxed their hearts, yet at the same time fearful as their bodies rebelled against it.

Sage did not move. His ice blue eyes continued to look upon Leokoni with unquenchable anger. He could forget what Leokoni had done to his best friend, nor would he forget what had been done to himself. Through all the years he had known Rowen, from the abuse by his father, to the abandonment by his mother had all been a ploy by the demon lord before him.

Leokoni was not one to be deterred by little humans, even those with power. He lips pulled into a mocking grin and he tittered. "So Ronin Warrior, what do you believe you can do? Your light is a folly, a waste of valuable time! Why increase your strength through the light when darkness can clearly overcome it? Your friends do not care for you. If you were not a Ronin with an armor, do you think they would have anything to do with you? I would think not. And even if they did, they would unwillingly protect you as the forces of evil would use you against them."

Sage continued to glare at Leokoni, the anger inside him was rising higher and higher. And then he realized something. The demon master was only trying to make him angry so a mistake on his part would be made. He had to focus and not let that happen.

Kayura looked upon Cye again and frowned. She could sense the battle would do more than just heat up. The Torrent bearer was still too weak to participate in this battle. She had no idea whether Sage would win or not, so keeping Cye there was not an option. She had to get him out of there. "I need to get Cye out of here! It is not safe for him!"

Star frowned deeply upon hearing this. She knew if Kayura left, something could happen to Rowen and Ryo again. So far she knew that Halo's light was keeping them back, but what if Kayura was somehow helping Sage to power up to such intensity? Could the Staff of the Ancients within Kayura's hand be lending strength to Sage?

"What about Rowen and Ryo!" she cried out to the young ancient. When Kayura looked toward her, Star's lip trembled. "Kayura, you can't leave them!"

Kayura shook her head. "You are right, I cannot leave them. But I cannot let Cye remain here!"

Firestorm overheard this and turned to look at Kayura. "Let me take him then! I could transform and fly him out of here!"

Kento looked down at Cye who seemed to be struggling how he was feeling at the moment. He frowned, thinking of an idea. He turned to Firestorm and Kayura then. "If Firestorm can take him out of here, she should take him to the nearest body of water!"

Kayura nodded her head. "He is right. Cye's armor is the Torrent and the water will recharge it and heal him fully! Get him there as quickly as you can, Firestorm. Sage is detained at the moment, and if we wait for too long, it could be fatal."

Firestorm nodded and instantly transformed into a dragon. She carefully stepped toward Cye and gently picked him by her snout, being careful not to crush him in her large jaws.

Ryo instantly became aware of this and the beast within him became instantly raged. He struggled against the power that held him in place. He was blood thirsty, and hearing Mia's voice speak out against Cye in such a manner had set it off. Cye needed to die. And he would see to it.

He defeated the power that held him and let out a loud roar as he leapt high into the air.

Mia was the first to see this and she could not believe her eyes. She screamed in despair, wanting Ryo to stop and be his normal self. None of this was right! Why did anyone have to suffer?

Firestorm caught scent of Ryo coming after her and knew she had no choice. She swung her tail directly against him, hitting him on the side of his body and sending him tumbling backward. Having now gained substantial time, her wings beat against the air currents and soon lifted her massive form off the ground.

Star watched her vanish from view as she flew further away from their perception. She sighed heavily and turned back to see the battle at hand. All they could do now was watch and hope that Sage would turn to be victor. And if Sage indeed won, then perhaps Ryo and Rowen would become normal again.

Sage realized how he could prevent himself from falling prey to Leokoni's taunts. The best thing he could do was to refuse to allow himself to do so. Having made that decision, he kept a firm stance and narrowed his eyes again. "Whatever you may say, Leokoni, I know it is just a ruse to ensnare me into your trap. It will not work! I refuse to allow myself to become hampered by you!"

Leokoni growled under his breath as he unwillingly admitted the boy was right. He was a clever one and apparently quite wise for his age. However he was still quite young, and the young could always make mistakes. There was still another way to rout him. He began to increase his powers once again and immediately a cover of darkness began to surge over the land, covering everything in its path.

Sage's eyes widened slightly at this increased power overlapping the land. He could feel the light within him fighting to maintain its dominance. How long would this last? It wasn't enough to keep fighting continuously without making an extensive assault. He knew he had to do something and fast, or the world would suffer more than just a blackout.

"Kayura, what's going on!" Star screamed. She could feel her heart pounding endlessly as the terror began to grip her. It was becoming so dark, she could barely see in front of her. She looked apprehensively toward her right, hoping to see Kento, but all she could see was darkness.

Kayura could barely see as it was, but she knew what was happening. The battle between Leokoni and Sage was growing more passionate. The darkness had grown so much she could see nothing at all, except Sage, surrounded by his own patch of light. "Leokoni has polluted the entire land with his darkness!"

Kento was trying to keep calm himself, but he felt as if he would break out into a sweat at any given moment. He almost screamed when he felt something hairy bump into him, but became startled when he felt it shaking in fear beside him. His eyes widened. "R.. Ryo?" He cautiously felt the body beside him, fearing that any particular moment, sharp canines would pierce his fingers.

Nothing happened though. Breathing a sigh of relief, he laid his hand on the massive head as if to reassure his friend.

Not too far away, Rowen was cowering in the darkness. He could just see a patch of light up ahead and a figure within it. Why did that figure look familiar to him? Why did he feel drawn to him? He felt confused as whispering sounded within the confines of his mind, but were they right? Was the figure before him truly an enemy? But what of this darkness? He felt true fear, wanting release, comfort, and even greater still, protection.

Leokoni chuckled as his eyes glowed in the darkness. "Is something wrong, Sage? You seem to be out of place. Perhaps your radiance has taken you prisoner. My shadows can emancipate you."

Sage understood immediately what the demon master was up to. Was it enough that he had to downgrade him, did he now have to mock his very source of power? "Free as a bird within a cage!" he retorted in anger. His eyes narrowed as his pointed his nodatchi at Leokoni. "Do not think I will fall for this one. I am better than that."

Intense anger surged through the demon master as lava flows through a volcano during eruption. He suddenly leapt into the air and flew straight at the Ronin of Halo. Diving bombing him, he took Sage by sudden surprise. The two tumbled head over heels, several times. Darkness and Light were having a free for all within this battle, and it was hard to determine which one would be the victor.

Sage struggled to increase his own power of light, hoping to throw Leokoni off balance. He could not let him win as it could very well mean the end of life itself. He feared what would happen to the others if he lost this battle. And the world…it would be covered completely in darkness. People needed the light to guide them by. The darkness would only serve to chain them up eternally.

Leokoni's hands sought out Sage's neck. Though surrounded by his own darkness, he could see quite well. His expression showed malice, but on the inside he was grinning with excitement. Soon, this annoying Ronin Warrior would be dead, and he would once again reclaim his dominance over mankind.

Sage's eyes widened. What had happened to his power of light? It should have been enough to keep the demon master's hands away from his neck, but there they were. He struggled and kicked, feeling his very source of oxygen being cut off from him at an alarming rate. Panic set in and he desperately sought a way out.

White Blaze, who was still nearby watching everything, felt a terrible foreboding. There was true danger. Not the type of danger where you know someone was going to become hurt, but the danger of losing someone. Unlike the Ronins and Kayura, he could see quite well through the darkness. And seeing Leokoni kneeling over a struggling Sage was enough to make his blood boil.

He sprang forward, leaping over distances within seconds at a time. Pouncing on Leokoni's back, his claws and fangs sought flesh, driving them in deep.

Leokoni howled in pain as he was driven back from choking Sage. He leapt to his feet and reached out behind him, grasping the tiger by the scruff of the neck, and suddenly violently threw him over his shoulder.

Sage's eyes were wide with fear and shock as he felt oxygen returning to him slowly. He inhaled several times at an alarming rate. His heart beat had increased and he could feel his blood pumping too fast through his veins. He suddenly felt tired and dizzy. He barely even noticed White Blaze sailing over his head.

White Blaze somersaulted in the air and safely landed on all fours. His fangs bared and suddenly he let out a tremendous roar that shook the ground.

Leokoni grinned suddenly. "So, you have spirit, tiger. I commend you on that. It is a fitting feat for a predator such as yourself, is it not?" His eyes danced with amusement as the tiger again let out another vicious roar. White Blaze's tail was swishing back and forth and the fur on the back of his neck was raised in fury.

Leokoni suddenly looked fiercely at him then. "But do not think I will allow you the pleasure of stealing away my victim. You will pay, tiger. I guarantee you." With that warning, he suddenly withdrew a scimitar from his belt and sprung high into the air.

Sage's feeling of weakness was instantly replaced by dread. He opened his eyes just in time to see Leokoni sailing into the air and aiming directly at White Blaze. A scream sounded from his very being as he forced himself to leap up. No other thoughts entered into Sage's mind except the need to save White Blaze. The tiger could not possibly handle the attack from such an evil being and his blood thirsty weapon.

Racing forward, Sage knew he had only seconds to spare. The rage within Leokoni's eyes was enough to frighten anyone, but he could not let that stop him. Barely had time passed when he suddenly leapt before Leokoni.

A sudden clap of lightning struck the skies above, as the Ronin Warrior felt intense, burning pain within the cavity of his chest. Blood poured down his armor as the scimitar hung from the chest plate. His eyes were wide and all color drained from his face. His kanji flickered, struggling to maintain itself, before it suddenly died altogether. And then, Sage suddenly fell face forward, pushing the weapon further into his chest.

Leokoni was surprised himself, but shrugged it off with a smile. "Well, that's one down." His whitened eyes looked toward the tiger as a sneering smile came upon his face. But then suddenly, that smile turned upside down.

White Blaze was infuriated. He could feel himself shaking as the power deep inside him sought to overtake him. And he could not hold it back. A bolt of lightning suddenly appeared without warning and struck the tiger, covering him completely as his eyes turned red. A white armor began to form on the tiger, and his fur changed from white to black. White Blaze was now gone, and in his place, stood Black Blaze, the tiger of death.


	30. Chapter 30

**The Arising **

**Chapter 30**

Firestorm arrived at the lake where Kento had directed her to go. Landing within the water, she knelt and allowed Cye's form to tumble off and fall into the waters. His body floated among the currents, but she kept guard to ensure he would not float far away. He needed this water. Its strength would help him recover, and at the same time rejuvenate his armor's power.

But there was a great sadness that weighed heavily upon her heart and soul. Cye was a good person. Rowen was a good person. And Ryo too. They were all good. Each one struggled to make it through life, while at the same time risked their very lives for ordinary people. Why did it matter so much? Why did it seem as if good people had to suffer constantly at the hands of their enemies? Why did some people and other forms of beings become so intent on harming others, without a care of the damages it could bring?

It saddened Firestorm, and it angered her. There were times she had wanted to transform and let loose her breath of fire, but the consequences of that action could prove more fatal than helpful. She wasn't even that powerful to begin with. No. She had seen Ryo's Inferno armor once before, and having heard the tales of it, knew the leader of the Ronins was perhaps one of the most powerful humans in existence, if not the most powerful.

She bent her mighty head and lapped up some of the lake's water, then turned her head toward Cye's form once again. He seemed more relaxed and his armor was glowing its respective light blue color. He was healing. How long would it take before he was aware of where he was?

She did not want to hurry his healing, and thus opted to wait patiently, a task in itself. Certainly Cye would have a thousand questions, of which she would be hard press to answer. She dreaded returning to the battle field, fearing the worst. The demon master had played his hand quite well, and who knew what mayhem they would come back to?

She could only pray. Pray that a miracle would be given to them before all hope faded.

Leokoni cursed loudly as the claws of the beast sliced into his arm, drawing forth green blood. How was this possible! No mortal was able to draw injury upon him! Unless, this was no ordinary tiger. He narrowed his eyes and struck his blade against the black beast, but Black Blaze dodged it. Leaping over the shoulder of the demon master, the tiger landed and quickly turned, claws outstretched, teeth bared.

Leokoni held back his pain of cry as he again struck at the tiger. This time he scored a mark. The tiger went tumbling backwards, and Leokoni threw his head back in laughter. But the laughter was short lived. For the tiger quickly rose to his feet and roared.

"Come on, wretched beast!" Leokoni charged as he held out his weapon. He no longer paid attention to the humans around him. He would deal with the remainder of them once he disposed of this annoying beast.

Black Blaze roared again, his eyes flashing red for a moment. He crouched, with claws

outstretched, and suddenly he charged and leapt high into the sky. He dove straight for the demon master.

Mia could not believe her eyes. Staring in horror at Sage, she knew immediately the bearer of Halo was dead. Her heart felt as if it had dropped and then broken into a million pieces of fragments. She could feel herself trembling and her knees felt weak. She was sure she had to vomit, but all she could do was swallow the bile.

Sage. He had sacrificed himself. Sacrificed himself to save his friends. What honor there was in that. Such love he had shown. His own life meant nothing to him if it meant saving his friends. But what if it meant nothing? What if losing his own life had been in vain?

Kento stood still, daring to believe that Sage might possibly be alive. But there was a slight pain within his soul. A pain he did not recognize and one that hurt more terribly than any wound he had received during previous battles. He knew it. He wanted to deny it. He could not believe it, but it was before him, stating the truth ever so blatantly. He once said he would never cry, but now even he could not deny the tears in his eyes. They shed onto his cheeks, and he swallowed a lump. Never before had he dreamt the Ronins would loose one of their own. Never had he thought it would have been Sage.

Kayura stared at Sage's form as a sadness overtook her heart. Out of all the Ronins, she felt the closest to him. Was it because he had been able to withstand most of her attacks when she had been under Talpa's influence? Or was it because she admired his strength, his kindness, his personality? Or was it because he had a strong spirit? She despondently shook her head. This wasn't suppose to happen. She was suppose to be their mentor, their advisor, their helper. She failed them. She had failed Sage. What would happen to Rowen and Ryo, even if they were freed from the curse? Would they blame her for what had happened? Worse yet, would Rowen attempt suicide? What about those left behind? What about his mother?

Star wept tears and sobbed. She clung to the only person she could for the moment and that was Kento. He did not shove her away, but held onto her. No longer worrying about Rowen and Ryo who seemed to be so full of pain, and even that hurt Kento, he kept his eyes on Sage's corpse as tears continue to shed. Star was shaking and she wanted so much to stop. She wanted to shout in anger at the heavens, demand to know why they were tormenting them so, demand for Leokoni to drop dead. She was angry, poignant, and wanted things to be back to normal.

But then, something amazing happened. A bright green light suddenly flared from Sage's corpse and traveled quickly to the Ronins. In astonishment, they watched as this flaring light encircled the two cursed Ronins, bathing them inside it. For several minutes the light went over, around, and through the two Ronins.

"Kayura, what's going on!" Mia asked in alarm.

"It seems as if Sage's spirit isn't done yet," the priestess replied back.

"So he's freeing them?" Kento asked with wide eyes.

"It would appear so," Kayura replied.

Star felt a bit of her hopes rise. If Sage's spirit could heal his friends, perhaps she did not need to feel as sad as she did. Oh, there would always be a bit of sadness, but with sadness comes healing, especially when one allowed it.

At last the light lifted off the two Ronins and they were healed; healed from the curse that Leokoni had inflicted upon them. The two nude Ronins laid unconscious upon the ground, unaware of what had happened, or even what was going on.

As quickly as it had appeared, the light vanished.

Kayura quickly leapt into action. Positioning her staff over the two Ronins, she began to administer strength and healing. Their bodies glowed their respective auras and their kanjis shined upon their foreheads.

Star and Mia had their eyes closed as the two Ronins were aroused from their unconsciousness. Nonplussed and embarrassed at seeing themselves without clothes, they opted for the armor orbs. Kento handed them over.

"Kento, what the hell happened?" Ryo demanded as he called forth his subarmor. Rowen did the same, still a bit weak from his previous ordeal with Leokoni.

Kento frowned, but knew he'd have to tell them. Summoning his courage, he told them everything. "Leokoni, he.. He cursed you two and sent you after us. You attacked us, trying to kill us. He tried everything he could to ensure he would have you destroy us. Mia and White Blaze came to help. And Sage as well. Kayura too. Sage.. he," he paused, looking Rowen sadly in the eyes.

Rowen read his expression and immediately felt as if he had been kicked in the stomach with a steel toe boot. No! This could not be! It wasn't fair! It wasn't true! But seeing the expression in Kento's eyes, he knew he was forced to believe it. Forcing himself to turn, his eyes saw his friend's body lying on the ground. Just beyond them, Black Blaze and Leokoni fought viciously.

Stumbling forward, the bearer of Strata made his way to Sage. Tears dripped from the corners of his eyes, and then without gusto, he threw himself over Sage's body and screamed through his sobs.

There was a roar of pain and everyone looked in alarm. Leokoni had thrown Black Blaze from him, causing the tiger to land on his feet, but this time, the sword of Leokoni struck the beast through his collar bone.

"BLAZE!" Ryo cried in horror. The tiger gave a feeble roar and then dropped over. The injury he had sustained had caused the two tigers to separate, each one lying unconscious and injured. Whatever the one felt, the other did as well. Both had a wound directly in their collarbone. Blood seemed to pour in torrents.

Leokoni only threw his head back and the air was filled with his mocking laughter.

Cye was aroused from his sleep and the first thing he saw was the face of a black dragon with blue eyes staring down at him. Screaming in terror, he thrashed a bit, pushing himself backward. And then he was surprised. He could have sworn he heard the dragon sigh. Then he realized something. Straightening himself, he stopped and stood still.

"Sorry, Firestorm," he apologized, meekly. "I did not recognize you at first."

Firestorm only nodded her head, then looked toward the direction where she knew the others would be. Frowning, Cye stood up and followed her look as best he could. Feeling quite recharged, he knew he had to get back to the others. He had no idea how long he had been at this lake, and he had no idea if the others were all right. But he did know they could not stay there. He needed to go back and help his friends against the demon master.

"Firestorm, we have to get back," he stated.

Firestorm grunted in reply as she agreed. She lowered her form into the water so he would be able to climb upon her back.

Somewhat nervously, Cye clambered aboard and wrapped his arms around her long neck. He closed his eyes. Even if he was a Ronin Warrior, he still had his fears. Heights terrified him, and he was not ashamed to be seen closing his eyes while they became airborne.

Positioning her wings perfectly against the wind currents, Firestorm flew back to the last place she knew the others to be. She only hoped they were still there. They flew over the trees at a rapid speed. Behind Firestorm in the east, the sun was beginning to rise. They had been battling the two cursed Ronins and Leokoni all night long. When this was over, they were all going to be exhausted and in need of much sleep.

At last, they made it back. Landing on the ground, Firestorm allowed Cye off her back and then transformed back to her normal human self.

Cye frowned when he realized what had happened while they had been away. Although Ryo and Rowen were back to normal, something was amiss. Staring at Rowen's knelt form, he realized with instant regret of what it was. Bowing his head, he whispered, "Sage," and allowed his tears to flow down his cheeks.

"Well, isn't this delightful?" Leokoni mocked as they lifted their faces to behold him. He stood tall and mighty, his sword firmly gripped in his hand, with the tip relaxing to the ground. "Here we are, facing one another. Your army has improved, Rowen of the Strata, and you and your leader have been freed from me. But is freedom enough?"

"You sick bastard!" Kento shouted as his eyes flared. "You think we'll go down that easy! You don't know the Ronin Warriors!"

"That's right!" Ryo yelled. "Sage may be gone, but that doesn't mean his spirit left. We can still kick your ass!"

"Oh, but for the lack of hope!" Leokoni stated. "You fools! Were it not for your humorous and admiring efforts, I would have blown you off. But no, I do this for enjoyment. I desire to see people suffer. My revenge will still come forth and all of you, not just Rowen, will die this very night."

Rowen felt a strange sensation overcome him. Rising to his feet, he stood and faced Leokoni. His blue eyes darkened with anger as he summoned his full armor. Taking his bow, he positioned an arrow on it, and drew back the string, causing it to become taunt. His armor began to glow.

Everyone surrounding him, held their breaths as they watched. Could Rowen really stand against Leokoni? Star wasn't sure if he could. What if he lost and ended up dead like Sage? She had never even gotten to ask him out as her boyfriend, and if he died today, she would never get that chance. She knew he was displeased over loosing his friend, but she did not want his life to end either. She prayed he knew what he was doing.

"Dare you to oppose me?" the demon master said as he grinned. "Are you not concerned that I could take your very life?"

"You can try, but you won't succeed," Rowen snarled. "This time you'll be the one to die!"

Leokoni began to laugh. "You fool! You will never destroy me! I will destroy you! I will make certain to crush the very soul of existence within your pathetic life form!" His laughter filled the air, and then something else occurred. The demon master abruptly ceased laughing and narrowed his eyes, nearly holding his breath. "No, it cannot be!"

Rowen could feel someone behind him, and he was afraid to look. He did not recognize this feeling, but then a calm wave overtook him. He had nothing to fear. He could hear someone whispering to him and it gave him strength.

Kayura's eyes widened. She could see the spirit of Rowen's ancestor, the famous Bunjiro Dayu, standing directly behind Rowen. What was even more fascinating was that Dayu had drawn his bow and positioned an arrow upon it as well.

"What is Leokoni staring at?" Firestorm demanded to know. None of them could see nor sense the spirit standing behind Rowen, but all of them could tell that Leokoni could see something just beyond Rowen's shoulder.

"It's Dayu!" Kayura answered for them.

Dayu, that was a name they could all recognize. For having heard of Mia's research, they were now stunned to hear that the very spirit of Dayu had come to help Rowen.

Rowen narrowed his eyes at Leokoni. "Your tyranny ends now, Leokoni. You've messed with me long enough, but worse, you messed with my friends. That's unforgivable!"

"I could care less if you forgive me or not. Do you think it matters much? A part of me will always be with you, Rowen of the Strata. Neither you nor Dayu can prevent that. You are weak!"

"I may be weak, but I will consider myself yet worthy over your unholy ass," Rowen snarled. "Good-bye, Leokoni!" The arrow was suddenly released. It traveled in a straight perpendicular line, heading directly for Leokoni's heart. At the same time, Dayu had released his own arrow; it sped along the same path as his descendant's, gaining momentum and speed.

The eyes of the Ronin Warriors, the eyes of Kayura, the eyes of Mia all watched the arrows fly their course. Everyone held their breath and time seemed to slow down significantly. Was this the end of Leokoni?

Leokoni saw both arrows coming for him. He tried to dodge them, but the arrows were quick. They pierced through his very being and directly into his black heart. Throwing back a roar of pain, the entire landscape shook mightily.

The Ronins were tossed about from the small earthquake. Looking up in surprise, they saw Leokoni's form swaying ever so gently as he stood there, wounded. His color was draining and he struggled hard to reach for the arrows piercing him. But more blood seemed to drip from his wound. His vision was getting blurry and he knew what was coming. Sighing heavily through black lips, he suddenly tumbled forward and hit the ground. The arrows were driven directly through his back.

"It's over," Ryo said as he breathed a sigh of relief.

Rowen shook his head as he felt the tears coming on once again. "No, it's not over. And it will never be." Turning his head he looked toward the corpse of his friend. How he would miss Sage. He would miss him quite terribly.

Ryo shook now. He had never meant any of this to happen. If only they had known in advance of what would happen. If only they had known about Leokoni beforehand. They could have taken care of it before any of this happened.

Firestorm stood next to Cye, disbelieving Sage was dead. She wanted him to move, wanted to see him open his eyes, wanted to hear his voice. But she could smell that terrible stench coming forth from him and could see that his form was stiffening. Rigor mortis was setting in.

"We'll need to take him back," Kento croaked. "And.. inform his family."

"What are we going to tell them?" Cye asked, quietly.

"I'll.. I'll handle that," Mia croaked out.

Dayu unseen by them all, except Kayura, stared at Sage's form. He shook his head. Death was too soon for such a brave young man. Stepping forward, the spirit knelt down beside Sage's form and then lowered his head. His lips touched Sage's lips.

Kayura stared in alarm, nearly dropping her staff. What did Dayu think he was doing! And then she realized something else. Sage's body began to glow now. His kanji shone upon his forehead and color began to return to his skin.

"Look!" Star cried, suddenly. Everyone followed her look. They were startled to see Halo glowing, increasing in its light ever so more.

Hardly daring to believe their eyes, they continued to wait, hoping, but dreading on that hope. Rowen even dared to take a step closer to Sage.

"Is he…?" Kento started to ask. The others shook their heads. They were afraid to say anything now.

And then Dayu stepped away from Sage, and the bearer of Halo slowly opened his eyes.

Sage felt weak and disoriented, but mainly he felt exhausted. However, seeing his friends suddenly surrounding him with tears of joy running down their cheeks, made him smile imperceptibly. "Hey, guys," he croaked.

"Oh, Sage," Mia said as she sobbed. "You worried us!"

"I'm sorry," Sage replied as he felt so tired.

"Sage.. it's good to have you back, man," Rowen said as he knelt beside him.

Sage looked at his best friend in the eyes and smiled again. "Rowen… welcome back.. too.."

"I think it's time we got everyone home now," Kayura stated as she could see Sage falling asleep.

"My thoughts exactly, Kayura," Ryo said as he knelt down and picked Sage up. Rowen protested, but one look from his leader shut the bearer of Strata up. Looking him in the eye, Ryo gently explained. "Rowen, you're still weak too. You suffered the most besides Sage.. I can carry him. Walk beside me."

Rowen nodded his head. He would agree as it was perhaps the best advice for now.

Kayura looked toward the two tigers as they laid unconscious in their own pool of blood. This wasn't suppose to happen either. She headed over to them and raised her staff over their bodies. The staff flared to life enveloping the two tigers. Their wounds were healed and soon both were standing upon their feet. With their strength returned, both roared mightily, and Black Blaze then glowed and vanished. Soon after, White Blaze glowed white. When the light faded, the lone white tiger rejoined his master's side.

Ryo smiled down at his faithful tiger, and then looked at the others who were all waiting. "Let's go home!"

Hidden from the group of warriors, Yata sat within the darkness of the forest, watching them leave. His eyes flickered and a cruel smile formed across his face. As quick as lightning, he scampered further away into the darkness.

A/N: I feel this was a bit rushed, but then, it was worth it. Why? Because of the previous chapter. Yes, The Arising is almost finished, after what, two years? There are still some things to touch upon yet, and some things that may confuse you, but may also intrigue you. As for now, I dare not to say what those things are. You'll have to wait and see. Email me if you have any questions.


	31. Chapter 31

The Arising

Chapter 31.

His eyes fluttered several times. A moan came from slightly parted lips. He shifted slightly and struggled to come back from that dark world that had encased him. His first initial thought was: where was he? Upon opening his eyes, he found himself in a familiar place. He was home, lying on his own bed. Struggling to sit up, he frowned as he wondered how that had happened. He tried to recall what had happened earlier, to give reason as to why he might have been out cold. But he couldn't think of a raison d'être.

He forced himself to relax and think back as far as he could remember. But again, nothing came to his mind. Would meditation help? No. For he now had a headache.

Turning his head in another direction, he was surprised to see Rowen underneath his own blanket with his blue hair sticking out from under it. As far as Sage could tell, Rowen was fast asleep. Come to think of it, what time was it anyway? A quick glance at the clock told him it was well after ten p.m.

'_It's rather unusual for Rowen to be asleep at this hour,' _Sage mused to himself. '_Something must have happened to us. But why can't I remember it? I remember myself, my friends, but of today and yesterday, I remember nothing. Not to mention I feel like someone gave me some Tylenol. But I'm not sure they did. What's the matter with me?' _

Feeling as if he was not going to be satisfied, he struggled to get out of bed. It seemed foreign to him that though his body did not hurt, it felt literally weak and exhausted. And on the other hand, he thought that was somewhat funny. In truth, he wanted to laugh out loud.

He nearly stumbled upon standing up, but caught his balance by placing one foot forward, the other backward, and by grabbing onto the footboard. He brought his feet together and held onto the footboard. He was tremulous. He took deep even breaths to see if that would help him regain his ease and stamina and at least his control over his inner thoughts and feelings. When at last he felt ready, he carefully let go and stumbled toward the door.

Ryo had not gone to bed yet. Having decided to stay awake and think things over, he reflected on what had happened prior to their return home. The trip home had not been easy. The flight across the ocean had been somewhat chaotic in which Rowen had nearly fallen off Firestorm, and had it not been for Kento grabbing onto him, would have done so. And even after landing, the rest of the journey on foot did not abode too well in favor with the Wildfire Ronin.

For one thing, after carrying Sage for six miles straight he had begun to feel like dead weight. And then Rowen began to beg to carry him, but again Ryo had refused him, insisting he was too weak at the time. Rowen had gotten angry this time and snapped at Ryo, before he had suddenly passed out himself.

It was Cye who had lifted and carried Rowen. The trip through the woods again and down the highway back to Mia's house seemed to take forever. In fact Mia had almost been hit by a racing sports car.

By the time they had made it back, everyone had been extremely tired. Cye and Ryo had carried Rowen and Sage to their rooms as everyone else went to their own rooms. And now Ryo was still awake, glad the trouble was over, and mostly glad his two friends were safe.

He was focused on getting some relaxation when he heard a thump above him. Turning his head over his shoulder, he looked toward the stairwell and immediately let out a gasp. "Sage!"

Ryo immediately hopped over the couch and ran up the stairs where his friend was just barely standing on his own two feet. "What do you think you're doing!"

Sage clung desperately to the banner and gave Ryo a weak grin. "Hi, Ryo. Just thought I'd test out the banner. Yeah, it's sturdy enough."

"You should be in bed sleeping!" Ryo admonished.

Sage tried to straighten himself, but his knees gave out on him. Letting out a moan he found himself sinking toward the ground until he felt Ryo's arms wrapping around his waist. "I'm fine," Sage insisted as he did not even attempt to pull away.

"No, you're not!" Ryo declared. "Sage, you can barely even stand! I'm not even sure how you made it this far from your room."

"Sheer power of the mighty Halo!" Sage weakly declared.

Ryo grunted impatiently as he began to carry his friend back to his room to get much needed rest. "I'll give you sheer power," he retorted. "I catch you out of bed again on your own, and I'll Rage of Inferno your ass. Understood?"

Sage was silent for a moment as if taking in the threat. Finally he nodded his head, letting out a meek, "Yes," and then closed his eyes. There was no use in arguing with Ryo.

Ryo put Sage back in bed and covered him. Under normal circumstances Sage was quite mature and often did not joke about such precarious matters. Could his illness contribute to his bizarre behavior just moments ago? It was within reasonable certainty that it was very likely. Perhaps by tomorrow Sage would be back to his normal self.

Leaving the room, he headed downstairs and plopped himself before the television. He would catch a movie and hope to become tired enough to sleep. Finding a detective movie on, he settled back against the couch and allowed himself to be captivated by it.

Cye awoke with a startled gasp. The room was still dark and he could still hear Kento's snoring wafting across the room. But that was not what woke him. Sitting up in bed, he allowed his other senses to focus on what might have caused him to rouse so quickly.

It was quiet. Shadows danced across the room as the moon shone overhead, casting its eerie light through the drapes. Cye turned his head toward Kento, wondering how he could sleep so deeply. His head then turned toward the window and strangely enough he felt beckoned to it.

He climbed out of bed and grabbed his orb just in case. Softly treading toward the balcony windows, he opened them and stepped out onto the balcony. He looked upward into the sky and realized what a beautiful night it was. There were many stars out that night and it made the sky looked enchanted. He remembered that Rowen once told him that each star had a special purpose, and that no two stars were exactly alike. It was no wonder Rowen was fascinated with them.

But then Cye suddenly felt his attention drawn away from them. Pausing to wonder why, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. Keeping his orb ready just in case, he forced himself to look down toward the ground. He nearly jumped backwards. 'What is that!' he wondered to himself as he dared to look closer.

Down on the ground was a figure on horseback. It was seemingly male with long azure hair tied in a pony tail. As Cye continued to watch and wait, the figure suddenly looked toward him and the Ronin of Torrent held his breath. "Dayu?" he whispered, scarcely daring to believe it.

The figure on horseback said not a word though. He simply turned his horse around and began to trot off until he suddenly vanished before Cye's eyes.

Cye frowned deeply with a lack of understanding. He tried to think of why Dayu had appeared to him and why he had beckoned him to come out there. But then what if he hadn't? What if the spirit of the armor had somehow told Cye to go out there? It was hard to determine which one was right, but Cye had to admit that Dayu had some kind of power.

A cold wind suddenly blew causing Cye to shiver. He stepped back into the room and closed the balcony doors. A quick glance to his right confirmed that Kento was still asleep. That was alright with him.

He laid down on his own bed and covered himself again. Staring at the ceiling he reflected on what just happened. Sage had always told him there was a reason for everything and that everything had a true purpose. He wanted to talk to somebody about this. And Sage seemed to be the best one to do so, but what if Sage was still weak from his ordeal? He didn't want to pressure him anymore than had been done to him. So then, who could he talk to?

Kento was the first to be awake at 8:00 a.m. in the morning. Deciding not to disturb Cye, he headed to the bathroom where he used it and then jumped into the shower. After he finished, he donned on a towel and returned to the room. Cye was still asleep. That was rather odd. Cye loathed to sleep in later than 8:30 a.m. It was now 8:45. Shaking his head dubiously, he proceeded to dress. Looking out the window, he grimaced. It was somewhat cloudy. He hoped it would not rain. He wanted to go rock climbing. Maybe even Ryo would go with him if the weather fared nice. He would have to ask sometime after breakfast. Speaking of that, Kento decided he was hungry and hurried out the door again, and went downstairs.

Upon coming downstairs, Kento was surprised to see Ryo asleep on the couch. Debating whether he should wake the Wildfire bearer, Kento stared long and hard at the black haired Ronin. What had possessed Ryo to sleep on the couch anyway, especially with the TV on? Stepping forward, he picked up the remote control and shut the television off. He then hurried into the kitchen. Okara sounded perfect this morning, and his stomach growled in anticipation.

After preparing the ingredients to make his breakfast, he kept his eye on the clock. The newspaper should be coming soon and he wanted to be the first to get it, especially before Ryo woke up. Ryo had the tendency to snatch the paper just so he could look at the sports sections, and once he had it there was no letting go.

While his breakfast cooked on the stove, Kento heard a thump at the front door and hurried to open it. Lying bundled before it was the newspaper. He snatched it up and quickly went back inside. He checked his cooking breakfast and added some spice, then stirred it. He then turned to the newspaper and opened the bundle.

Ryo awoke to the smell of food. His stomach growled and he slowly sat up and looked toward the kitchen. Was Cye in there already? But wait, why didn't he hear yelling? Traditional mornings usually consisted of Cye hollering at Kento who would pester him for something to eat while cooking over a hot stove. But the house was silent.

Could Mia or one of the other girls being cooking breakfast? It was possible. The curiosity got to him and he stood up from the couch. As he walked to the kitchen, the aroma became stronger and he realized what was cooking. Okara. Pushing open the door, he expected to see Mia or even Star, but he suddenly stopped in his tracks with wide eyes. "Kento?

Kento glanced up from the paper and flashed a grin. "Hey, Ryo! What's up?" He then noticed the surprised look on Ryo's face. "What?

Ryo shook his head and managed a smile. "Ah, nothing. I just wasn't expecting to see you in the kitchen."

Kento grinned. "Hey, man. It's close to nine and Cye isn't awake. I'm not waiting to be fed."

Ryo managed to smile back, then sat down at the table. "And you didn't think to fix the rest of us any."

Kento laughed as he tended to his food. "Hey, man.. In order to feed all of you, I have to keep my strength up!"

"Right," Ryo said as his eyes glanced toward the newspaper. Without another word to Kento he took the paper and flipped it to the sports section and began to read what had happened during the game, who scored what, who had a foul, and who saved the game when it was nearly lost.

Kento finished making his breakfast and set it down. Seeing that Ryo now had the newspaper, he shook his head. It might be a while before he got that paper back. Glancing toward his okara, his stomach growled. He did not want to seem rude by eating in front of Ryo, but he felt so hungry. He had an idea. He took one bite, then turned back to the counter and began to prepare the ingredients to make a second okara.

The spirit of Rowen's father heard scratching and weakly lifted his head. He was startled to see Yata coming into the room with a giddy look on his face. What had happened? Where was Leokoni? Why was Yata so happy? He watched as the demon cackled and twirled like a ballerina, and then leapt into the air, laughing as he landed on the floor again. The spirit, though in pain, could not hold back his curiosity. "Yata, why are you so happy?" he barely got into a whisper.

Yata stopped jumping and looked toward him with a half genuine smile and with half of a sneer. "You mean you don't know? For shame!"

The spirit raised an eyebrow, trying to determine what the little monster meant by that. So far his mind was drawing a blank. Yata began to skip about the room then, singing loudly to himself. It was in a language that the spirit knew not, and he was not about to ask what the words meant.

It was then that the spirit realized Leokoni had not come bursting into the room to grapple Yata. But why not? Surely he was still around, wasn't he? Looking back toward the little demon he dared to ask, "Where is Leokoni?"

Yata was still jumping up down wearing a feral grin. "Guess!"

The spirit sighed heavily. He did not like guessing games, and the weaker he felt, the more agitated he became. "Yata, just tell me!"

"Guess!" Yata exclaimed again. This was a game to him, a simple plan to vex the mind of the prisoner. It was what he loved to do, and it delighted him to see the spirit slowly loosing control over his own emotions.

"Yata, just tell me!" the spirit demanded with a higher voice. That was a mistake. He immediately began to cough violently, and as he did so, green, putrid vomit came out of his mouth and dripped to the floor. He let out a groan of despair.

Yata finally stood still and stared at him for a long while. Then he began to speak. "Once upon a time there was a fly who thought he'd go for a flight. He flew happily, boasting he was the best bug in the world. Then along came a spider who had built a web, and he laid in wait for the so called best bug of the world. The unsuspecting fly immediately flew into the trap and struggled to get loose. But the spider descended upon him with a cackle, and now the once best bug in the world was no more." The little demon then stuck his tongue out at the spirit and turned to leave.

The spirit watched him go with a dumbfounded look on his face. He spent the next several minutes trying to analyze what was just said. Suddenly it dawned on him. Leokoni was dead!

One by one at the Ronin house, everyone else woke up. Cye was surprised to see that Kento had cooked breakfast for everyone, and that Ryo had helped keep things straightened up. The Ronin of Torrent smiled at the bearer of Hardrock and the bearer of Wildfire in appreciation of their work, and sat down to enjoy his breakfast.

Star took one bite into her okara and her eyes widen with delight. "Hey, this is pretty good!" Swiftly she took another bite.

"I agree. It is delicious," Mia said as she ate hers.

Kento beamed proudly. It wasn't often he got a compliment like that. It felt good. Maybe he could cook breakfast again tomorrow.

Rowen was barely touching his food though. Instead he was staring off into space. He barely noticed the others talking or taking delight in their breakfast. Something weighed heavily on his mind and he struggled with his own inner conflict. How could he tell the others? Would they accept it? Would he be able to move on if he told them? Why was he thinking of saying anything at all? Perhaps he should just forget the entire thing and move onward with his life. But the guilt struck him and he felt despair. What was he to do?

Ryo noticed how sullen Rowen had become. Frowning with worry, he called him by name. After three times with no response, he finally tapped him on the shoulder. That got his attention. Rowen looked at Ryo with surprise, then with sadness.

"Sorry, Ryo," Rowen apologized.

"What's eating you?" Ryo pressed.

Rowen struggled inwardly. How could he tell Ryo anything, especially when it concerned the spirit of his father? Ryo might not understand, or tell him he was brainwashed into thinking that his father deserved to be free from the hell he was in. And what if it was true? What if he was brainwashed? No, he couldn't tell Ryo at this time. He shook his head remorsefully. "Sorry, Ryo. I just need some time to sort this out on my own."

Ryo nodded with an understanding look and turned back to his meal. Rowen sighed in relief. That had not been easy. But it was something he had to figure out for himself before involving the others.

Across from Rowen, Sage, though still weak, was managing to eat his breakfast. He could not help overhearing what Rowen and Ryo said. He frowned as he chewed his food. Whatever was bothering Rowen, he knew it had to be serious. He wondered if any chance Rowen would feel more comfortable talking to him about it.

The doorbell suddenly rang and Mia quickly got up from the table. "I've got it!" She hurried to the front door and pulled it open. "Ms. Hashiba!"

"Mia, I've told you. Please call me Rachel."

Mia smiled and invited her in. The two women walked into the kitchen, and Rowen was startled. "Mom!" He immediately stood up and hugged her and she hugged him back. Rowen wasn't sure if she knew what had happened to him and he was afraid to ask. So he kept his mouth shut.

Rachel did not want to tell him what she had learned while he had been absent. She had been horrified to see her son being tormented through vicious ways, but the red haired man who had come to her in a dream had reassured her that everything would turn out all right. He of course was right. Now what was his name? Oh yes, Anubis.

"Rachel, are you hungry?" Mia asked as mother and son separated. "Kento made a delicious breakfast."

"Famished," Rachel said as she sat down. Firestorm got up and fixed her plate and handed it to her. "Thank you," the woman said as she began to eat. A smile came to her face. "This is good!"

Kento beamed again. "Thank you," he said. "But if you think I'm a good cook, wait until you taste Cye's cooking!"

Cye blushed as he finished his meal.

Rachel smiled and said she'd to have to try Cye's cooking sometime. After breakfast, everyone began to clean up, including Sage who almost collapsed a few times. Ryo shook his head at the bearer of Halo.

"Sage, get back to bed."

"But I want to help!"

"No way! You won't do us any favors if you collapse on the floor."

"Ryo is right, Sage," Mia said as she wiped off the table. "You should be in bed resting!"

"But, Mia!" Sage saw the firm look in her eyes and the stern look in Ryo's eyes. He sighed despondently. "Fine," he said as he turned and headed toward the stairs.

"Someone go with him in case he falls," Ryo suggested.

"I'm on it!" Kento said as he followed Sage.

"What's the matter with Sage?" Rachel asked as she helped clean up.

"He's sick," Firestorm answered as she stacked the dishes in order on the counter.

"With the flu?"

"Not exactly," Star replied as she put the food back into the fridge. She wasn't sure how to tell Rachel what was really going on with Sage. Would she even understand?

Rachel blinked a little with confusion, but then began to wonder if it had something to do with her son. She knew Sage and Rowen were close, practically like brothers. Not wanting to pressure anyone, she simply nodded. "Well, I hope he feels better."

"Ah, don't worry," Cye said. "He'll be back to himself before anyone knows it."

Ryo called White Blaze and fed him breakfast. As the tiger munched happily, he looked out the window with a grimace. It looked like it would rain sometime that day, and he had been hoping to play soccer. Oh well.

Once the kitchen had been cleaned, everyone separated to do their own things. Rowen, his mother, Mia, and Star went into the living room to talk. Cye went upstairs to clean his fish tank, Firestorm went back to bed, Kento went down to the basement to lift weights, and Ryo headed upstairs to shower.

Upstairs asleep in bed, Sage was tossing and turning on his bed. Sweat beaded down his face as he whimpered. He cried out in his sleep, begging whatever it was to stop tormenting him. His thrashing became so violent that he nearly fell off his bed. What was worse, long red scratches began to appear across one cheek. What was happening to him? What was this horrible dream he was facing? Why was it so realistic?

A/N: My apologies if this chapter seemed a bit rushed. I'm still coming toward the end, which is why this chapter seems a bit rushed in some places. As for Sage's dream, don't worry. That should be explained in the next chapter.


	32. Chapter 32

**The Arising **

**Chapter 32**

Rowen had a strange feeling. He could not explain it, but he felt there was something wrong. As his mother, Mia, and Star discussed the importance of ancestral history he began to feel a headache directly at the cerebrum. He massaged his head as he attempted to focus his attention on the conversation.

But it was nearly impossible. The throbbing in his head seemed to intensify.

Why did he have a headache? He could not explain it, but there definitely was a reason. For headaches never began without one. He tried his best to ignore it and forced himself to focus on the discussion.

"I think knowing your family's history is very crucial," Mia was saying as she sipped chai from a teacup.

"I quite agree," Rachel said. "When one does not know their family's past they do not know themselves."

"Exactly," Mia said.

"I should ask my parents about my family's history," Star said as she sipped tea from her own cup.

"You could check birth records at the municipal court and at the hospital," Mia suggested.

"Who are your parents, dear?" Rachel asked.

"Well, my dad is Tsio. He's an architect who works in Shinjuku. My mother is Nadina. She's a nurse at the local hospital," Star answered as she set her cup down.

"Those are both wonderful careers," Rachel said. She turned to Rowen. "Don't you agree, Rowen?"

"Huh?" Rowen replied with strain in his voice.

Rachel frowned as she noticed her son's pale, flushed face. She immediately felt his forehead and her eyes grew wide with distress. "Rowen, you're burning up!"

"Headache," Rowen mumbled as he closed his eyes and learned against her.

Mia immediately stood up. "I'll get some Advil."

Star stood up as well. "And I'll get a cold, damp clothe."

Kento suddenly raced through the living room from the basement. His face was full of concern as he raced past the three women and Rowen and quickly climbed the stairs, skipping two steps at a time.

"What is going on?" Rachel demanded with apprehension.

"Something is wrong," Mia said with a deep frown. And then it hit her. "Sage!"

The water felt good against Ryo's skin and it made him feel content. He closed his eyes, yearning more for that relaxation. But then his eyes shot open. Something was wrong. He leapt out of the shower and quickly grabbed his orb from the bathroom sink. In moments he transformed into his sub armor. Forgetting about the running water, Ryo rushed out of the bathroom and headed down the hall.

He did not know what was wrong. All he did know was that he felt a dull pain in his heart, one that told him there was danger. As he ran down the hall he found Kento and Cye running as well. They were both in their subarmors and each held a look of grave concern across his features.

"Ryo!" Kento shouted, the moment he saw him. "I think there's something wrong with Sage!"

"We've got to help him!" Cye cried.

They reached Sage's door. Kento tried to turn the door knob, but the door suddenly clicked, locking it. His eyes widened with surprise and he looked desperate. He tried to jiggle the door handle in hopes it would turn over, but the door remained fast.

Ryo came up beside him and tried to help. He could not open the door either. Through the door, they could hear Sage thrashing about on his bed as if someone or something was strangling him. Ryo kicked the door suddenly, causing it to jerk. It still did not open. "Damn it!"

"Ryo, try kicking it again, and Kento and I will ram it afterward at the same time!" Cye suggested.

Ryo nodded his head and made a round house kick against the door. The door once again jerked, but still remained closed. Ryo backed up some, glaring at the door. He moved out of Kento's and Cye's way.

Kento narrowed his eyes as he prepared himself. He hated for any of his friends to suffer, and Rowen and Sage had suffered long enough. He wanted it to end. If he could help it, their suffering would end tonight. At Cye's signal, both Ronins made a mad dash and rammed their bodies simultaneously against the door.

The door suddenly swung open. Ignoring the damage they had caused, the three ran into the room. There they found Sage in a tangle mess of sheets. Sweat glistened on a pale, white face. Looking more closely they noticed a wound on one side of his face. Not understanding what happened the three Ronins moved to the side of Sage's bed.

Ryo gently shook the bearer of Halo. "Sage, wake up! Wake up!"

But Sage did not wake up. He continued to flail on the bed, getting more tangled up in the sheets. The situation was getting worse. Not one of them knew what was happening to Sage, but whatever was happening was serious. Could a dream have been causing Sage to act this way? And if it wasn't a dream, then was there an evil spirit?

Cye was worried. If they couldn't wake Sage who knew what would happen to him. He could not understand why his friend refused to wake up. But then what if it was not refusal? What if something or someone was preventing him from waking?

Kento decided to help Ryo. He took Sage by the shoulders and leaned close to his ear and yelled, "Wake up!" But that did not work either. The bearer of Hardrock gave Ryo and Cye an apprehensive look. "What do we do?"

"We have to keep trying," Ryo said as he again shook Sage as firmly as he could. "Come on, Sage! Wake up!"

They took turns, shaking and calling Sage, but nothing woke Sage up. He was trapped within the confines of sleep. Finally, Ryo decided enough was enough. He drew back his hand and smacked Sage hard against the uninjured side of his face.

Cye's and Kento's mouths dropped in surprise as neither had expected Ryo to resort to such measures. But surprise turned to relief when they heard a gasp from Sage. Turning to look, they saw Sage's eyes shoot open. But there was terror and fear within those eyes.

Firestorm woke upon hearing noises. Frowning, she looked at the clock. It was way past two in the afternoon. She heard a thump and voices shouting a name. She sat up. '_What is going on?' _she wondered as she stood up. Determined to find out she left her bedroom and walked down the hall. She heard concerned whispering. Following the sounds, she soon found herself at Sage's and Rowen's bedroom door. Now she could hear Ryo, Cye, and Kento all speaking directly to Sage. Figuring something must have happened to Sage, she dared to knock on the door and waited.

There was a moment of silence, and then she heard Ryo's voice bidding her to enter. She opened the door and saw the four of them near Sage's bed. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Sage had a nightmare," Kento informed her as he looked back at Sage.

"A nightmare?" Firestorm echoed as she came further into the room. She noticed the scratches on one side of Sage's face and a bruise on the other side. "It looks like he was in a brawl."

"The bruise is from me," Ryo admitted. "The scratches are from whatever was attacking him in his dream."

"What was attacking you, Sage?" Firestorm asked as she looked from Ryo to Sage.

Sage was silent as he lowered his eyes. How could he tell them about the little demon? It was the same demon that had attacked him in the woods, and the very same demon who had kidnapped Rowen for his master.

As Sage pondered it, he realized why he had been so defenseless against this demon. He was weak from being ill and from having been dead, and his light had not fully recovered yet. Halo was slowly healing him, but the healing wasn't coming fast enough.

"Sage?" Firestorm called his name as she wanted an answer.

She did not look as if she would let this slide. He sighed heavily and looked down at the bed sheets. Finally he looked up, staring directly into each troubled face. "It was a small demon," he said at last.

"A small demon?" Cye echoed.

"What small demon?" Kento asked.

"The same one we fought before," Sage answered, quietly.

The Ronins frowned as they looked at one another and then back to Sage. They remembered the little demon. He may have not been as powerful as Leokoni, but he was nearly as dangerous. Now their problem laid into planning on what could be done about the little demon. As far as they remembered, he despised light. Yet, Sage was weak. How could they destroy the little demon if Sage could not help?

"Guys, there's something else," Sage said as he remembered something. They gave him their full attention. His face held a solemn, yet conflicting look as he gazed down toward his bed sheets again.

"What is it, Sage?" Ryo asked.

"Yeah, spill," Kento said.

"I saw Rowen's dad," Sage said in a soft voice.

A moment of silence filled the room. None of them could believe what Sage had just told them, and yet they knew it simply had to be true. He never lied to them before, so why would he start now? The look on Sage's face held both anger and sadness. But what those emotions applied to could only be reasoned within one's own heart.

Kento was dubious though. He believed that a person could be reincarnated into another life. The only exception he had seen was Anubis. "How could you have seen Rowen's dad?" he asked.

Sage shook his head as his eyes stared at his sheets. He had already known that Kento would doubt him. He always did. He looked up at his comrade. "I don't know, Kento. But I did. He was in this empty space between what appeared to be two stone walls. He was held in the air by his wrists with nothing below him. He looked sick. Quite sick."

"Man, who cares?" Kento demanded. "After what he did to Rowen he deserves it."

Ryo nodded in agreement with Kento. Rowen's dad had caused too much suffering for his son. Too many times had the bearer of Wildfire seen bruises on his friend, and the fear within his eyes. The one thing none of them could understand was how Rowen could fight the Dynasty and show no fear, and yet show complete fear in front of his dad. But now he finally understood. Rowen hadn't been afraid of his dad. He had been afraid of himself. Rather than killing his dad and going away to prison and suffering a death sentence, Rowen had allowed himself to be abused. He had also done it to spare his friends the pain. At the same time, none of this made sense to Ryo. But he was not Rowen.

Sage shook his head. "That's one thing I am not sure I agree with, Kento."

"Why not?" Cye asked, curiously.

"Leokoni," Sage supplied, and then allowed them time to figure it out.

"Wait," Firestorm said, "are you saying Leokoni caused his dad to beat his own son?"

"Sounds farfetched almost," Cye said.

"Leokoni was angry with Rowen because of Dayu," Sage reminded them. "We know that Rowen is Dayu's descendant, and believed he would have his revenge fulfilled if he did it through Rowen. He wanted Rowen to suffer and caused Rowen's parents to split up, and caused Mr. Hashiba to beat Rowen. He may have been the cause for Rowen's fear. Although I'll admit that I'm not sure on that."

Cye was silent as he began to reminiscence. Just the other night he had seen the spirit of Dayu. He had not told anyone, not even Kento. But now he wondered if the mentioning of Rowen's ancestor was a sign that he should inform someone. Maybe they could figure out why Dayu had appeared.

"So are you saying that since Leokoni caused all this trouble, Mr. Hashiba is basically innocent?" Kento asked.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Sage affirmed.

Kento shook his head as he thought about it. "I still can't believe it."

"I don't think any of us can," Ryo said.

"There's another problem," Sage said slowly.

"Great!" Firestorm said sarcastically as she threw her hands up in the air.

"What is it now?" Ryo asked.

"If Rowen's dad's spirit isn't rescued, he'll become lower than Yata."

Silence filled the room once again, and Cye forgot about Dayu.

Mia frowned deeply as she glanced toward the stairs. She could hear muffled conversation, but could not tell what was being said. She glanced toward Rachel who held Rowen's head on her lap. "How is he?"

Rachel looked up from wiping the cool damp rag on Rowen's forehead. "He's doing a little better. He's not as hot as he was before."

"He doesn't look as pale as he did either," Star said as she noticed Rowen's coloring.

"I'm willing to bet it had something to do with Sage," Mia said as she glanced toward the stairs again. She wondered what had happened to the bearer of Halo, and thought about going upstairs to check. She hesitated though. What if Rachel and Star needed her help with Rowen? She bit her bottom lip as she felt unable to decide.

Rachel noticed Mia's expression. She did not want Mia to think she was holding her back. Even though she did not technically raise Rowen, it was now as good as any time to start. Having Rowen living with her for only a week was certainly not enough. She wanted this time to experience the pleasure, the gift of raising her teenage son, and without help for now. "Mia," she spoke, "go upstairs and see if you can help them with Sage."

Mia looked toward Rachel with a surprised look. "Are you sure?"

Rachel nodded her head. "It's time I became a mother. I have been taking care of Rowen, but not as a mother should. I need to start doing this on my own. Though I appreciate your and Star's help."

Star smiled. "You're welcome. Though I expect when Rowen gets better, you'll wonder where he's been at the last few days."

Rachel pursed her lips together. "It's funny how you should mention that. The night I expected Rowen to come home when he should have, I felt there was something wrong. I had even expected someone from here to tell me what had happened to him. But on the night of his disappearance, as I laid in bed, this figure appeared to me, and told me that Rowen would be found, and that I had nothing to worry about."

Mia paused on the bottom steps as she had been ready to ascend them. She was now intrigued as she looked toward Rachel. "What did he look like?"

Rachel was silent for a few moments as she thought back to that night. She smiled a little. "He had long white hair with this large hat covering his eyes. He carried this pouch around his neck. He was very kind."

Mia's eyes widened in surprise. "The Ancient One!"

Star looked surprised as did Rachel. They gaped at Mia as if waiting for her to explain. Mia sat down on the bottom stair and told them who the Ancient One was and how they had encountered him during the first war with Talpa. When they had learned he had sacrificed himself to help the Ronins, they were amazed.

"That was noble of him," Star said with a nod of her head.

"And very brave too," Rachel added. "I don't think many people could do that."

Mia stood up as she shook her head in disagreement. "You would be surprise to find out just how many people would be willing to sacrifice themselves to save another."

Rowen shifted on his mother's lap as his eyes slowly opened a crack. He spoke weakly. "Mom, dad."

The three women looked toward him with a frown as they didn't understand him. "Rowen?" Rachel asked with concern.

"Mom, dad," Rowen repeated weakly.

Rachel stroked his hair back as she gave him her full attention. She was astounded that he mentioned the very man who had beaten him. But she felt he did not need to be reminded of that. "What about him?"

Rowen closed his eyes as he felt his body pulling toward sleep again. "He's dying."

Rachel looked in alarm at Mia and Star. She did not understand why her son would say such words, when he was perfectly rational. What had happened during his disappearance that no one told her about? Was his fever making him delusional? Or was it something else entirely? "What is going on?" she demanded.

Star frowned as she did not know herself.

Mia had a hunch. She stood up. "I think I should see what's happened upstairs. I'm willing to bet we'll get your answer from there."

"I certainly hope so," Rachel said as she looked down at her son. She hadn't meant to be harsh. She was overwhelmed with concern for her son, and feared he would become more ill, forcing her to take him to a hospital.

Star stood up from the couch. "I'll go with you, Mia." In truth, she would have rather stayed with Rowen and his mother, but thought Rowen needed to be alone with his mother for a few minutes. It had been a hard decision to make, but one worth it.

Mia nodded as she stood up and turned toward the stairs. The two women climbed the stairs and headed toward Sage's room. When they reached Sage's room, Mia knocked and Sage gave permission for them to enter. The Ronins and Firestorm looked toward the two women who had entered.

"That didn't take long," Cye said with a small grin.

"For us to come up here?" Star asked with a wry smile.

Kento nodded his head. "Yep."

"How's Rowen?" Ryo asked, directly.

Mia shook her head with concern. "He's not doing too well, I'm afraid."

"What's wrong with him?" Firestorm asked.

"He's running a fever," Star explained. She went into full detail of how it happened and when.

As everyone listened, they felt concern, particularly Sage who felt his dreams and Rowen's illness were in someway connected. But how were they connected? As far as he knew the only time any of them suffered pain without physical cause was when Ryo was hurt. It was something that did not make sense to Sage and frustrated him greatly. Yet, he had to remain calm through this. If he lost his sanity, he would lose himself as well.

"And now, he's speaking about his dad," Star finished with a grimace.

"His dad?" Kento echoed in shock. He glanced from Star to Mia, and then to the other Ronins. He looked once again at Star, still in disbelief.

"We were hoping that by coming up here, we would find some answers concerning this," Mia said.

How would we have any answers?" Firestorm asked with a frown.

"None of you may have an answer, but I do," Sage said, quietly as looked toward them.

"Your dream?" Ryo asked.

Sage nodded his head as he shuddered noticeably. The dream was still fresh in his mind. He could still feel the darkness, the crushing weight of thick air, the rancid smell of sulfur and acid, the cruel words spoken, and the terrible pain as claws like talons ripped through his flesh. He cautiously touched the wound on his cheek, grimacing a bit. It had been so terrifying and so real.

"What dream?" Mia asked as she looked directly toward Sage. She could see the wound on Sage's cheek and wondered how he had gotten it. Had he scratched himself in his sleep? No. Sage always had his nails cut and filed to perfection. What had happened exactly?

"Sage had a dream involving the same demon who had abducted Rowen," Cye informed Mia. He looked toward Sage as he expected Sage to tell Mia exactly how it happened. There was stillness in the room once again.

But at last, Sage began to speak. He told Mia and Star what had happened in his dream. They listened without interruption. The more he spoke, the faster the Ronin of Halo became stronger. He knew what had to be done, even though he didn't quite agree with it. When he finished, the two women were in shock.

Star shook her head. "I feel sorry for you Ronin boys. You've experience so much misery, and now the evil beings are making you suffer it all over again."

"Better us than you women, or even other people without armors," Kento said.

Firestorm raised an eyebrow. "We're not defenseless."

"I didn't say you were," Kento told her.

"Kento's right in a way," Ryo said with conviction. "We're used to this. We know what to expect from it, and how to handle it. But together, all of us are a team. We have our roles to play. And if we don't work together, we could very well lose the battle before it even starts."

"He has a point," Cye said.

"Which brings me to another concern," Sage spoke as he looked up. "Rowen's dad."

Star snapped her fingers. "Rowen was mentioning his dad downstairs. He said he was dying."

"That's right," Mia said as she nodded. "He did. Rachel wanted to know what was going on. It was one of the reasons why I came up here."

Sage sighed heavily as he closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again. "Rowen is right, in a sense. His dad is dying. But it's not the physical body. It's his spiritual body that is dying."

"What do you mean?" Mia asked.

"Rowen's dad's spirit is trapped in Leokoni's domain. It was Leokoni who brought havoc on Rowen's life by causing his mother to flee and for his dad to turn on him. When Mr. Hashiba died, Leokoni snatched his spirit and chained it below the earth. Now the spirit of Mr. Hashiba is very sick. If he dies, the spirit will turn into a mindless demon."

Star felt as if she was going to be sick when Sage finished explaining. She had known about the abuse Rowen's dad had inflicted on his son, but never imagined how a spirit could be transformed into a mindless demon through captivity. She shuddered.

Mia was not sure what to think. A part of her felt like retorting that it would be good for Mr. Hashiba to suffer so cruelly, but then she would not have a good human nature. She realized she did not want to be like Rowen's dad. And technically what had happened was not Mr. Hashiba's fault. He was a victim of Leokoni himself. What was saddening was how none of them about this until after the death of Mr. Hashiba. She realized the only reason why Leokoni came out of hiding was because he had no one else to torture and destroy Rowen but himself.

"That's why," Sage said carefully, "I think we should rescue Mr. Hashiba's spirit."

"What!" Firestorm demanded as she felt angry over this idea. "Sage, have you forgotten what he did to his son!"

Sage frowned as he looked at her. He rubbed his temples, trying to ease the tension from there. "Haven't you been listening to a word I said?"

Firestorm backed up some and sighed. She frowned. "I have. Look, I'm sorry. I guess the dragon side of me is hungry."

"You should feed it soon," Ryo said, firmly. "We can't have you snapping at everyone."

Firestorm glared at him, but knew he was right. She decided it was best to keep her mouth shut and agree.

Ryo turned toward Sage who was climbing out of bed now. "Sage, are you sure you want to do this?"

Sage nodded his head as he balanced himself on the floor by using the head posts. "I'm positive, Ryo. If we don't do this, we will have another demon on our hands. Even mindless demons can be a danger."

"There will be other demons though," Cye said with a frown.

"That's good," Kento said with a grin. "I need a good fight anyway."

"Kento," Cye said a with a smile as he clapped his hand on his friend's shoulder, "you'll never change."

Everyone laughed as Sage took the time to heal himself. When he finished he looked up with a resolute look. "I think it's time we got this started."

A/N: Hi! Surprised to see this chapter weren't you? I apologize. I was busy with classes, and I admit, I felt stuck on this. But I hope this chapter was satisfying to you. I also realize this chapter is going to be longer than I intended it to be. I'm hoping the next chapter will be the last one, but I am not quite sure on that. We will have to see. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter. Also check my profile for any updates concerning fanfics, original fics, and announcements. See ya.


	33. Chapter 33

**The Arising**

**Chapter 33**

Rowen's eyes quivered three times as his body shifted. He let out a moan, and his mother anxiously looked toward him for fear that something else was wrong. He moved again and his eyes slowly opened.

Rachel took a deep breath and sighed in relief. "Rowen." She moved closer to him to hug him. He made no sound as she leaned down and wrapped her arms around him. "My poor baby."

Rowen remained silent as his body was slowly becoming more awake. He blinked a few times and then brought his hands up to rub them. He had no idea how long he had been asleep, but he did know he felt a lot better. His headache was gone.

"How do you feel?" Rachel asked as she placed a hand on his forehead. She felt relieved. Rowen's fever was gone.

Rowen shifted a bit, but did not ask his mother to release him. "I'm fine," he said. "Where are the others?"

Rachel frowned deeply, but she knew she should tell him. "They went upstairs to check on Sage. Something happened and…"

Rowen's eyes went wide as he pulled from his mother's embrace. "I need to see him!"

"Relax, Rowen," a familiar voice said from the stairs.

Rowen and his mother looked toward the stairs and saw Kento standing there. "Kento."

"Sage is fine," Kento assured him as he came down. "In fact, they're all coming down soon." He plopped himself onto the opposite couch and peered at Rowen. "How do you feel?"

"Fine, thanks. What happened to Sage?"

"Oh," Kento sat back a little and wondered how he would tell Rowen. He did not want to sound stupid and he didn't want to say the wrong thing. Finally, he decided to tell Rowen exactly the way Sage had told him and the others.

Rowen and Rachel listened patiently as Kento explained what had happened. Rowen was awestruck, but Rachel looked dubious. Still, she did not say a word as Kento spoke. Rowen's mind was racing however. Could any lackeys have it in for him on the count of Leokoni? If so, who could it be? And why would they attack Sage on the count of him? Or were they after Sage alone for one particular reason?

"And that's what he said happened," Kento finished.

Rachel shook her head and smiled, slightly amused. "I never knew you teenagers had such an imagination!" She had clearly forgotten what Rowen had said earlier in regards to his dad dying.

Kento frowned at her, not understanding what she found so delightful about this. "I don't understand what you're getting at."

"Sage had only a dream, Kento. It can't be true. Dreams can't hurt you."

"All I know when I went upstairs to check on him, he was tossing and turning and there were long scratches on his face. Now tell me how does that happen?"

Rachel sat back in the chair as she regarded Kento. "Simple. When you dream, sometimes your body will toss and turn. Sage could have easily scratched himself."

"I doubt it," Kento retorted as politely as he could. "For one thing, Sage's arms were tightly pinned down by the entanglement of the sheets. And second of all, Sage's nails are cut and filed down so fine it would be amazing if he could scratch a black board."

Rachel stared at him as her mind deliberated on what he had just spoken.

Rowen shook his head as he finally figured it out. "This is no ordinary dream," he stated. "Sage has had dreams like this before and they always meant something. Someone was trying to do him in."

Rachel was now bemused as she looked from Kento to her son. "Rowen, what are you saying?"

Rowen frowned as he wondered how best to tell her what had happened to him. He did not know whether she would believe him, or whether she would laugh it off. He decided to take a chance. He began to tell her exactly what had happened; from the first time Sage was attacked in the woods, to the time they had battled the demon Yata in the house, and to the time of his capture. He deliberately left out the torture part, knowing it would agonize her, and he did not want her to suffer even more from that.

Rachel frowned as she listened to his story. She did not want to believe it, but she knew Rowen had always been honest, fearing lies over anything else. She recalled once again what he had said to her about his dad, and she felt herself tremble. When Rowen had concluded she gently cupped his face in her hands and stared him in the eyes. "Rowen, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was doubtful. I'm sorry I was such a poor mother. I always wondered why I left your father when we were all happy. The perfect family. We hardly ever argued. We always got along just fine. And now I realized it. It was my insatiability. I was still quite young and wanted to be wild, free."

Rowen shook his head as tears came from the corners of his eyes. He reached up and took her by the wrists and held them there. "Mom," he choked, "it wasn't you. It wasn't any of us. It was Leokoni!"

Rachel nodded as this time she wrapped her arms around Rowen again. This time Rowen sat up and embraced her in return. Mother and son held onto each other as if they were holding onto one another's life.

Kento heard the sound of footsteps and looked toward the balcony. There, he saw the Ronins, the new Ronins, and Mia. The Ronins were all in subarmor and looked more than ready for a fight. He stood up and produced his own orb, ready to change as well.

At the sound of footsteps, Rachel and Rowen broke apart and looked toward the stairs. Rachel's eyes widened at the sight of the metallic suits covering Ryo, Sage, Cye, Star, and Firestorm. "What's going on?" she demanded.

"We're going after Rowen's father in the realm of the dead," Ryo explained as they filed one by one down the stairs.

"What?" Rachel was incredulous.

"Rowen's father's spirit was captured by Leokoni," Sage explained, unaware that Rowen had informed her just minutes ago. "We're going to travel there and battle the remaining demons to free him."

Kento called his subarmor to him, noticing Rachel looked slightly shocked at him. He did not speak, but joined the others.

"How will you free him?" Rachel asked as she turned her head back to Ryo.

"We'll battle the ones who are holding him," Ryo told her. "We've been in battles before, so we know what we need to do when we get there."

"I'm going with you," Rowen declared as his mind was already made up. He stood up and fished around in his pocket for his own orb.

"No, Rowen!" Rachel cried as she grasped his arm. She looked into his eyes in what appeared to be both imploring and stern.

"Your mother's right, Rowen," Ryo said matter-of-factly. "It might be difficult for you to return to the place of your captivity."

Rowen turned from his mother to give Ryo a slight glare. "Ryo, that's _my_ father down there. It was Leokoni's fault that I did not have a true family. If I stay behind, that will prove to every demon that I still blame my dad for what he had done to me, rather than blame the true source; Leokoni. Don't attempt to stop me. I'm going." And saying no more, he gently pulled free from his mother, who choked back a sob, and pulled his armor orb from his pocket. In minutes he called his subarmor to him. His eyes seemed to flash with a new desire. "Let's go crash their party."

The spirit could barely lift his head from off his shaking form. Had he still been alive, he would have thought he was nervous or needed an alcoholic beverage. He was miserable and knew that an unwanted transformation would come soon. He did not want to become a mindless demon. It frightened him, and time again and again, he had futilely begged for spiritual death. He was laughed off.

He sighed to himself as if resigning himself to the fact he would become what he dreaded most. He knew he had seen mindless demons earlier. He shuddered to think of himself in that form. They only existed to serve the normal demons. They could not think for themselves nor could they speak. They were both used and abused by the haughtier kinds.

The spirit already knew he did not want that type of post life. And yet, if Halo did not save him soon his form would utterly change. He stiffened, if a spirit could stiffen, and felt genuine fear. Was this the same fear that Rowen had felt before the beatings began? How could he allow Leokoni to use him like that? His son could have had a happy life. He should have known something was wrong with him, sought help, told Rowen to run away from him and never come back. But no; Mr. Hashiba had threatened to harm Rowen's friends should he ever tried to run away. He was ashamed now. Very ashamed.

The spirit lifted his head as best he could. He could hear voices; they were garbled, gurgled, rough voices. He knew Yata and the remaining demons were probably conversing, or perhaps partying in the main chambers, the place where Leokoni's throne once sat. Had the throne become Yata's? He didn't see how. Perhaps it had become Dinsoneis' throne. He was, after all, Leokoni's right hand demon. Or at least the spirit believed so.

The spirit shifted in his chains. That was a mistake. The pain intensified, nearly making him scream. He forced himself to keep silent though. He did not want the demons to feel pleasure at his suffering. If only he could make it go away. If only he had the strength, then he would cast away his pain and laugh at the demons directly to their faces. But he had not the strength, nor even the will. He knew he was dying. Where was Halo?

The Ronins found themselves at a massive gate. The color of the gate was a deep red with a black outline that seemed to swirl in live circled patterns of fog. As they approached the gate, they realized they would need Kento to open it. But they would first need to discuss their plan of action.

"Okay," Ryo began, "remember to stay close together. We rely on our strengths and that of each other. Don't allow yourself to get entangled between too many demons, and don't fall for illusions."

"No sweat!" Kento said eagerly. His eyes were shining as he couldn't wait to get in there to battle. Though the only demon he had ever fought was Talpa, he was looking forward to battling demonic spirits who had never been human before.

"I'll be keeping a close watch on the demons' abilities," Sage told them. "If I see an illusion, I'll inform you all via mental link."

"That sounds good, Sage," Rowen said with a nod of his head. Like Kento, he was more than ready to get in there and battle.

"What about Mr. Hashiba?" Star asked.

"We'll need to fight the demons to get past them," Ryo said.

"Yeah, they're not going to allow us to easily free him," Cye said with conviction. "We'll need to take them down as quickly as we can."

"I'm betting we'll need Inferno," Kento said.

"If we do, then I'll gladly summon it," Ryo said as his eyes flamed.

"Okay, are we ready?" Firestorm asked as she felt impatient. "Let's go knock a few demons out and free Rowen's dad."

The Ronins looked at one another and nodded. One by one they called forth their subarmors and stood ready. Kento grinned as he stepped toward the gate. To him this would be a piece of cake. He placed his hands upon the gate and started to push.

The others watched him carefully, expecting the result to be the same as it always was. However, as Sage closely watched he noticed the swirling black fog increased in both speed and size. He had a bad feeling about this. "Kento, get away from there!"

Kento blinked as he did not understand. He didn't see anything wrong with the gate. His hands remained pressed against the gate as he strained his strength to open it. However, before he could answer Sage and tell him no, a part of the fog suddenly struck outward and encircled Kento from his neck to his ankles.

"KENTO!" everyone shouted as shock pierced through them.

They raced forward to help them, but they were too late. The fog lifted Kento higher into the air and suddenly threw him backward.

Cye gasped as he watched his best friend sail overhead. He sprinted forward, hoping to get to the spot where Kento was heading. Just as he hoped, he managed to break Kento's fall. The bearer of Hardrock shook off the effects of being thrown and stood on his feet again.

"Kento, are you okay?" Rowen called back to him.

"I'm fine, Rowen; thanks to Cye. But now I'm getting really mad."

"Keep your temper, Kento!" Sage warned. "This thing here may use it against us!"

"Just what is that thing?" Star asked with a hint of fear in her voice.

"It seems to be a security system," Rowen said as he studied it. He noticed that it was back to normal. How were they to get through it? He doubt they could just pass on through it from mere strength alone. No, there had to be another way in. The question was how?

Firestorm continued to stare at the gate with a fixed intensity. Was it her imagination or was that gate laughing at them? Distinctively, she thought she could hear laughter coming from the gate. She cocked her head and listened closely. She was sure of it now. "This gate is laughing at us!"

They looked toward the gate. Indeed they could hear laughing. Sage studied it more closely though. He shook his head. "No, it's not the gate. The laughter is coming from inside."

Firestorm deflated. Boy did she feel stupid.

"They're celebrating," Ryo commented as he felt disgust.

"Yeah, and I bet they're celebrating for a reason," Rowen said.

"We need to find a way in there to stop them," Cye said.

"Sure, man," Kento said in agreement as he looked uncertainly at Cye. "But how though?"

All of them became silent as they began to think of ways in. They tried some of the ideas they had, ranging from sure kills, to passwords, to attacking with their weapons. Again and again they were thrown back. It seemed useless. Were they never to get in?

Sage studied the gate again. There was something about the gate that nagged at him. But what was it? It seemed as if it were mocking them. Was there some secret it held within its construction? His eyes suddenly widened the more he stared at it. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of that before? He turned to the others. "Guys! The Circle of Light!"

They looked at one another as if each one of them had grown a foreign object directly out of their heads. Why hadn't any of them thought of that before? It was truly a miracle that Sage was on their team and had the gift to understand what they could not.

Rowen wanted to smack himself, but with great difficulty he refrained himself from doing so. "Why didn't I think of that before?" he muttered out loud. He looked at the others. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Star and Firestorm were nonplussed as they had never heard of the Circle of Light. What was this? To Firestorm it reminded her of the motto on The Lion King; The Circle of Life. Before she could ask this, the Ronins were suddenly running in a circle before the door, apparently oblivious to the girls.

Star watched this animated scene very carefully, wanting to discover this Circle of Light in terms of how it was done and why. As she watched she noticed the five Ronins stopping at various places and standing in what looked like a five pointed star formation with their arms crossed over the chests with their respective kanjis blazing in their foreheads.

"Virtue!" Ryo shouted.

"Trust!" Cye's voice rang through the air.

"Wisdom!" Sage's voice echoed off the walls.

"Life!" Rowen's voice bellowed.

"Justice!" Kento cried.

A star in the shape of a pentagram which seemed to represent earth, air, spirit, water, and fire had suddenly appeared on the ground before them. Star's eyes widened as she whispered to Firestorm. "Amazing, isn't it?"

Firestorm nodded as she could barely speak. But inside she was wondering if she and Star would ever learn or even be able to do what the Ronins just did. After all, were they not Ronins themselves in a way?

"Keep it up, guys!" Sage warned them as he noticed the pentagram was slightly weak. It must have been because of Rowen and himself. He was determined to let his light, his spirit shine brightly if it would cause the Circle of Light to intensify more strongly.

"Look at the gate!" Cye suddenly cried as his eyes fixed themselves upon the stubborn gate. They turned their heads to look and were surprised. The gate was once again readying itself for an attack. It was as if it knew what was coming.

"Man, that thing just isn't natural!" Kento moaned slightly.

"We can't give up," Ryo told them firmly. He looked down at the pentagram they had just formed and saw that it was ready. He nodded at the others. "Okay, guys, get ready!"

They were more than ready. Slowly, they began to step away from their places, but continued to keep their arms folded across their chests. Those who were not directly facing the gate turned about. Side by side they stood together, like an impenetrable wall. Ryo counted to three and upon hitting the number three, the Ronins used their energy to hurl their Circle of Light against the gate.

There was a moment when time seemed to freeze. Not a single body moved as the pentagram flew in slow motion toward the gate. The waiting seemed endless, and yet no one could think about anything except what would happen when it made contact? Would the Circle of Light break it down? Would the gate repel it? Would the gate suck it in and then strike down the Ronins? Fear took over the Ronins' hearts causing each of them to hold their breath.

There was an explosion. It was quite deafening in sound and it was bright as an atomic bomb. All of the Ronins, including Firestorm and Star dove down to the ground and covered their heads as pieces of the gate flew around them. The ground shook and moaned as if it could feel genuine pain.

But at last it was silent. Ryo, Sage, Kento, Rowen, Cye, Star, and Firestorm did not dare to move. It may have been quiet, but it did not mean that danger had passed. After several minutes, Ryo was the first to lift his head. He gazed cautiously about the place and then looked toward the place where the gate had once stood. His eyes widened in amazement and discouragement. "It's gone!"

One by one the others raised themselves off the ground to have a look. The gate was gone and nothing stood in the empty room except for seven teenagers in mystical subarmors. They had worked so hard to weaken the gate; they had not meant to literally demolish it. How would they ever get inside the pit of the demons?

Yata's eyes narrowed as he suddenly became still and silent. Around him the party continued on as hundreds of hulking demons conversed with one another in several different languages, among them Latin. The small demon had a bad feeling. He sniffed the air, rising ever so slightly onto his toes to catch a familiar scent that drifted toward the throne room from a mile away. His ears twitched, but the only thing he could hear was the loud music that resonated off the walls.

A tall, muscular demon suddenly clamped his hand around Yata's throat and lifted him into the air so they were eye to eye. "And what has your attention, shrimp?" he sneered.

"Do not call me a shrimp!" Yata retorted in anger. "I smell something familiar," he added in a more of a monotone voice.

"Do you?" the larger demon's voice was ice filled. He continued to stare into Yata's eyes, sneering, mocking. "Perhaps it is your own disgusting filth that you smell."

Yata growled low in his throat as his eyes stared at this monstrosity holding him. Had Leokoni survived this might not have been happening. After all, weren't they celebrating their freedom from the demon master? Still, the smallest demon wished to yield his suffering to the demon now holding him so rudely.

Without a single warning, he swung the lower half of his body forward and clutched onto the demon's forearm with his claws digging deep into the skin. The moment the larger demon loosened his grip around his throat, Yata took a daring chance and sank his fangs deep into the leathery hide between the fingers and the thumb.

The bigger demon screamed in pain and anger. He suddenly threw Yata across the room and looked down at his bloody fingers. Black blood seeped from the wound. He scowled. Yata would pay for this. Without a word to anyone else, he turned swiftly and exited from the throne room.

Across the room in a corner, Yata slowly stood up with an immoral grin spreading slowly across his face. Chanteaq had learned the hard way about fooling around with him. And Yata was definitely no one to mess with. But his attention, once again, was distracted. He sniffed the air several times in hopes of finding an answer to the familiar scent. Then suddenly his eyes widened with realization. He knew that scent.

A/N: I'm not entirely happy with this chapter. I feel it could have been a bit better, perhaps more intriguing. However, as it follows chapter 32 directly, I had to keep everything in line, rather than jumping about like I wanted to. I had hoped this fanfic would be complete by now; how wrong I was. But you can tell I am definitely getting closer. And yes, all of you may now faint in shock as I've updated early.


	34. Chapter 34

The Arising

Chapter 34

It was dark and quiet. Too quiet for Kento's taste. Only a few minutes ago they had managed to knock down that obtrusive gate and enter into this long, wide hallway. The hallway appeared to be built out of granite. The floor, walls, and ceiling matched in texture and density. Though it was dark, there was a strange red glow that emanated the hallway. Kento was positive there were demons lurking nearby, but where were they?

Sage was wary. He did not feel any demons, but the stench of their presence from nearby was overwhelming. He did not like the feeling at all. It seemed to weigh heavily against him, burdening him as it mocked him with its sinister silence.

He glanced at Kento and realized the bearer of Hardrock was tense. That was rather odd. In all their times of battling, never once did Kento seem tense. Angry that his friends were getting hurt, but tense? He then realized that Kento could feel the demons as well. But how was this possible? It made no sense. Unless. Kento's armor was connected to the ground, and since they were underground, it was natural that the earth itself was suffering from the demons within it. If the armor could feel the demons, so could Kento.

Rowen frowned. He knew they would have to pass through the demons, but he wasn't sure how many there were. He tried to figure out a guess of just how numerous they could be. He estimated there to be perhaps one thousand of them. Just that number alone caused him to cringe. Dynasty soldiers were nothing compared to demons in strength, speed, agility, and fighting ability. He knew there was a way to defeat the demons, but other than directly battling them, he did not have a clue how to do it.

Ryo looked at him. "Rowen, have you seen demons other than Leokoni and that demon Yata?" he asked

Rowen shook his head. "No," he replied. "I was kept locked away in a dungeon. The only demons who came to visit, unfortunately, was the demon master and Yata. But I am positive there are more. Leokoni would not allow it to be just Yata and himself."

As they continued to walk down the hallway, Cye remembered a particular scene that had struck him odd. It was when they had met the stranger who had called himself Akura. His eyes widened and he quickly looked toward Rowen. "Rowen, sometime ago, when Ryo fell ill, this stranger came to us and presented us with this potion bottle. I remember objecting to it because I felt he could not be trusted. However, when I looked into his eyes I suddenly forgot why I did not trust him. It was after that very potion he gave Ryo that Ryo transformed into that cat like beast," Cye told Rowen as he noticed Ryo cringing. "Do you think Akura could have been a demon?"

"I don't know, Cye," Rowen replied as he looked the smaller Ronin. "It's possible he was, but he could have been some type of human priest for Leokoni."

"It was a demon," Sage spoke up suddenly, causing everyone to look at him.

"How do you know?" Ryo asked him. To him, Sage seemed a bit unnerved. Was it the spiritual darkness grasping for them that caused Sage to feel unease?

"My spirit has revealed that information to me through the Halo armor. When Cye was telling us about it, I could hear my spirit screaming out demon. As I am the Ronin of Light and the demons are Warriors of Darkness, we automatically can sense one another, whether in disguise or not."

"That's something you don't hear everyday," Firestorm remarked.

Kento turned to smirk at her. "Are you jealous?"

Firestorm glared at him, disbelieving he would even ask such a question. "No!"

Kento was aghast. He had not expected to see anger in her eyes. He had only been teasing and had not realized she would take it to the extreme. "Hey, relax. I was only teasing."

Firestorm only stared at him with a hard expression, before softening her gaze. "Okay, fine." Without another word, she quickened her pace and joined Cye's side.

Kento watched her with a frown. "Man, what's with her?"

"Don't take it personally, Kento," Star said gently. "Firestorm can be sensitive at times, perhaps even a bit much."

"Is this because of her dragon side?" Kento asked. "I mean I thought she ate before we left."

"I don't know if it's her dragon side or not," Star answered as she shrugged a little. "Try to overlook her reactions for now."

Kento sighed heavily. "Fine. I'll try."

The atmosphere was heavy with silence. The Ronins were keeping their senses peeled for any signs of danger as the unexpected could always happen without a moment's notice. It seemed nothing would happen, but Ryo wasn't too convinced on that. He knew that at times the enemy always prolonged the inevitable.

The air suddenly turned cold. Star frowned at this. Just a moment ago it had felt warm. Why had it become cold? Come to think of it, why had it been first warm, then cold? She had always thought that the underground was more cold than it was on top. So then, why?

The cold intensified. The others began to notice it now and Ryo softly cursed. As fire was his element, the cold could work against his armor. If only there was a way to prevent that. There was so much to the Ronin armor they did not know, that he wondered if his armor had a special protection against the cold. It was too bad the Ancient One had not given them more information, and even Anubis could not tell them anything. But perhaps, Kayura could.

"I don't like this," Cye said, softly. "I think they're toying with us."

"You think so?" Kento asked as he glanced over at Cye.

"Cye might have a point," Rowen said as he continued to walk forward down the hall. "Leokoni isn't here anymore, and if he was, we would have been attacked already."

"That just brings music to my ears," Firestorm said sarcastically.

They continued onward. They did not know how long this hallway was, but it seemed longer than most. It was still quiet and cold. Ryo was actually shivering in his armor and debated about using his powers to warm himself. But how could he connect to the armor when the armor itself seemed to be straining?

Cye sucked in a breath. To think they were actually attempting to rescue Rowen's dad. He was surprised that his friend would even consider it, but after getting the truth from the demon master it was understandable.

As he followed the others he stepped on a particular piece of the floor. This piece was slightly raised and had not been noticed by any of the others. There was a loud click, and everyone froze, their eyes wary and their ears attentive.

"What was that?" Kento asked.

Before anyone could answer, a trap door in the ceiling behind them opened to release a gargantuan iron ball. It rolled toward them in a frenzy, and as it rolled toward them, spikes sprouted from it.

"Oh man!" Ryo exclaimed.

"Rock and roll!" Kento cheered.

The Ronins began to run away from the ball. Given their current location the ball was too large for them to leap backward over it. They had no choice but to keep running to avoid the deadly piercing of the ball. But just how long would this hallway continue?

Sage was thinking fast. The ball had to be at least fifteen feet in diameter. The hallway was at least 15 ¾ feet in width. He guessed the thickness of the walls were at least two feet thick. It was possible they could blast a hole through the walls giving them the opportunity to escape. He looked toward Kento and shouted. "Kento, use your power and open a hole in the wall! We might get a chance to escape!"

"Alright! Now you're talking!" Kento exclaimed. He ran faster to give himself some space between the others and more specifically the iron, spiked ball. When he was positive he had more than enough room, he quickly calculated the length of time he had. Forty five seconds. That gave him plenty of time. He called his surekill.

The hallway shook with the power, and it nearly knocked his friends down. However, he controlled his power and sent it against the wall. The force of the surekill blasted the wall, creating a hole large enough for the Ronins to run directly into it. They quickly made the dodge, passing into the hole just in the nick of time.

The iron ball rolled past them and continued on for a few more feet. It reached the end of the hall and exploded, sending out its spikes in various directions where they became imbedded into the walls.

Star was shaking. They had come so close to dying. So very close.

"That was too close," Rowen said with a sigh of relief.

"Just what set that thing off anyway?" Firestorm asked.

Cye frowned as he began to think back. He remembered stepping on one part of the floor that had felt different from the rest. Guilt settled within him. "I think it's my fault," he admitted. Everyone turned to look at him. He sighed a little, and explained what had happened.

"Well, it's over now," Ryo said. "And Cye, don't blame yourself. You didn't know that would happen. We'll just have to use extra caution next time."

They turned around to look at their new destination. They were in a wide bare room that appeared to be more of a chasm. The floor went forward to about fifteen feet and then stopped abruptly where it dropped down into a depth of darkness. They could see the other side was about fifty feet across, but there was no bridge. They would either have to jump, or ride upon Firestorm in her dragon form.

"Man, this place is intense," Kento said as he whistled.

"Yeah, you should feel right at home here, Kento," Cye joked.

"Keep yourselves prepared," Rowen warned them. "We have no idea what could be lurking in this place."

"We have to get across," Sage reasoned as he studied the chasm before them. Wanting a closer look, he began to walk toward it.

Arrows suddenly rained down upon them, causing them to react quickly. Where had the arrows come from? And how could they have been that oblivious to them? They scattered in various directions and began to defend themselves in ways they knew how.

Rowen began to fire his own arrows toward their hidden assailants. He heard them scream in pain. That was a relief. At least he was catching them, despite the fact they were shrouded in darkness.

Sage turned his nodatchi in various ways as he used it as a shield to deflect the arrows away from him. He sent four arrows tumbling back to their owners and heard their yelps. There were more. Somewhere. But where exactly? They were hidden so well, it would have taken more than a flashlight just to find them. This place was so dark that Halo was amazed he and his friends had been able to see enough just to get through.

Ryo was tempted to call his surekill, but he did not want to expose the others to it. It was too dangerous. Not to mention, with it being as cold as it was, his power might lack in its strength. An arrow skimmed toward him, and he quickly dodged it. Another arrow. He used his katanas to deflect the arrow, sending it back upon its owner. There was a scream of pain.

"I wish we could see them," Star lamented. She strained her eyes through the gloom, but so far, all she could see were her comrades. Another thought occurred to her. How would she defend herself? An arrow suddenly came at her. She screamed and jumped back, avoiding it just in the nick of time. She stared at the arrow in stunned silence.

"Star, use your weapon!" Rowen called to her.

Star blinked and then remembered her bo. She reached behind her back and grabbed her it. She wasn't sure exactly what good it would do her, but it was worth a try. Holding it at a certain angle, she kept her eyes focused on the arrows. Numerous arrows were still being fired upon them, and she waited for another to strike at her. One arrow flew over her head and was repelled by Cye. Another flew over her, coming from the left, and was warded off by Kento.

An arrow suddenly shot toward her. At first she wasn't sure what to do, but then instinct to survive took over. She twisted her body and ducked down, while at the same time raising her bo above the speeding arrow. She brought the bo down and heard the sound of a vicious crack as the two weapons connected. The arrow slammed to the ground, broken in half.

Star sighed in relief. At least now she knew she could defend herself from arrows.

Firestorm dodged arrows here and there. One came pretty close to striking her, but thanks to Cye it missed her. Knowing she had no choice but to use her own weapon, she pulled her sword from its sheath.

It felt strange, using the blade for perhaps the first time. But it seemed as she and the blade were a part of one another. Though somewhat clumsy she managed to defend herself from the arrows as they rained upon them.

Another arrow flew at her from behind. Hearing the whoosh sound she managed to dodge it in the nick of time. She stared at the arrow laying on the ground for a moment, before she whirled around and slashed her sword through the air. An arrow was broken in half by the movement of the blade.

Ryo was beginning to become irritated. The demons were preventing them from reaching the other side for a reason, and he could about guess what it was. Having no other alternative, he crossed his swords together and leapt high into the air. "Flare Up Now!"

The surekill lit the room in a blaze, but the heat from the blaze destroyed only the demons. A horrible sound of screaming filled the air. It was as if some monster had taken his claws against a clean mirror, raking them across to resonate high pitched squeaks. The Ronins grimaced as they were tempted to cover their ears, but Rowen became alarmed. He knew if they were to become open it would prove fatal.

"Don't do it! That's what they want!" he shouted as he kept his bow and arrow steady. The screaming was piercing directly through his skull and he winced.

"My ears are freaking hurting, man!" Kento bellowed out.

"So are mine!" Sage retorted. "But Rowen is right. Some of them could still be in hiding, or have been missed by Ryo's surekill."

"I think we should attack them as one!" Cye suggested.

Star could not remember her surekill. What was it? She knew she had called for it before. This was terrific, and just when she needed it the most. The demons were still firing upon them, and they were still deflecting the arrows right back at them. Ryo had already called his surekill and looked a bit waned.

The other four Ronin boys were in various positions with their weapons at the ready.

"Super Wave Smasher!" Cye cried as he let loose his attack. Several demons screamed and gargled the moment the water attack struck them.

"Arrow Shock Wave!" Rowen's attack was stronger than Cye's by far, and it wiped about nearly half the remaining demons.

Sage raised his sword above his head and concentrated. His eyes turned from violet to ice blue as he could feel the power of Halo within him. "Thunder Bolt Cut!" Electrical rods of power flew from Sage's sword and came together in one powerful light source. The light was hot and bright and wiped out one third of the demons. Only two fractions were left now and they were still shooting arrows. A demon cursed out loud, giving away his location and Rowen ended his existence.

Star thought long and hard. Numerous names of surekills flew through her head, but she did not feel connected to any of them. But then… heaven… Wait. What was this? She could feel it. A longing for the word. But something was missing. Heaven's Blade? No. Heaven's Cry? Definitely not. Heaven's Torment?

Her eyes widened. Yes! That was it! The passion was there. It cried out to her, pulling at her, yearning for her. She readied her bo. "Heaven's Torment!" she cried.

Several demons were blasted into tiny pieces as rays of sparkling light penetrated through the core of their beings. She sighed in relief.

The demons were in a panic now. Most of them were destroyed, and it would only be a matter of minutes before the rest of them were wiped out. One demon fled and managed to escape.

Kento knew it was his turn. These creeps would pay for hurting his friends. They would pay for trying to kill them. He twirled his nanginta above his head, his eyes fixed upon the place he would strike. "Iron Rock Crusher!"

The attack struck the hiding place of the demons, causing their ground to shake and split apart. Several demons fell into the depths of the ravine as loose rocks, the size of boulders, followed after them.

Firestorm held her breath as she was prepared to try an attack herself. But then her ears met silence. She looked around, waiting. No arrows were flying through the air. Did that mean?

"I think we got them all," Ryo stated. "Sage?"

"I don't sense any of them here," Sage said after a moment.

Firestorm was disappointed. "Man. I was hoping to call my own attack."

"Why would you need an attack?" Kento questioned. "You could just turn into your dragon form and eat them."

"Oh, right, Kento! And leave myself exhausted again? No thanks." Firestorm scowled at Kento as she crossed her arms. The nerve of that…

Kento sighed as he shook his head. "It was a joke. Relax."

"Bite me!" Firestorm snapped at him.

Kento was shocked as he couldn't believe what she had just said. He stepped forward, ready to make her see the error of her ways. But Ryo grabbed his arm and shook his head firmly. Kento sighed. Ryo was right. This wasn't the time for it. Besides, maybe Firestorm was just hurt that she did not get to use her surekill. Come to think of it, what was her surekill anyway?

"Guys, we need to get across the ravine," Rowen said. He was looking toward the other side. The powers of their surekill had somehow created enough light, so that they could now see a cave within the wall. Somehow, Rowen knew they needed to go through that cave.

Sage felt drawn to the cave. He was standing just before the edge of the ravine, trying to figure a way across. As far as he could tell there was only one way. "Guys, we have to jump."

"Wait a minute!" Cye said. "The girls weren't trained for that."

"We can carry them on our backs," Ryo said as he was staring down into the depths of the ravine. Jumping would be no problem. They had done it countless times before.

Rowen lifted Star onto his back. Judging the distance, he calculated the length of space he would need to make a successful jump. He backed up a foot and crouched down. "Hang onto me and don't let go."

Star nodded her head as she kept her arms wrapped around his neck. She closed her eyes.

Rowen sprang from off the ground. He leapt over the ravine and sailed through the air until he landed safely on the other side.

Sage allowed Firestorm to climb onto his back and followed Rowen's suit. They made it across safely and waited for the others to join them. One by one the other Ronins jumped over the ravine, joining the others.

"Okay," Ryo said as they faced the cave, "let's see what lies beyond this cave."

And so, they entered into the darkness of the cave.

The spirit was in agony, unlike any he'd ever felt before. He could not remember his physical pain, but he felt this pain was worse. The weakness was getting to be too much. If not for the chains that suspended him in mid-air he surely would have collapsed onto his face and shriveled into a tight ball, yearning for the destruction of his own soul.

'_Where was Halo?' _the spirit questioned to himself. He felt as if he were falling, but he wasn't; or was he? He couldn't tell for sure. Laughter. He heard the sound of it. Leokoni? No. Leokoni was dead; Yata had told him, and he believed the little demon. Why wasn't he free from all of this?

The spirit was starting to shake. It was occurring, and he could not stop it. Why though? If only this was not happening. He did not want to become a demon zombie, or whatever it was Leokoni told him.

Claws tapped along the floor, but he could not lift his head to see who was coming. He did not know whether to be fearful of that, or glad. They came closer and closer until at last they stopped altogether. Who was standing there before him, watching him with intense eyes? Surely it was not Halo?

Yata stared up at the spirit with a malevolent look in his eyes. Here in this dungeon where it was dark, he felt his strongest. There was no miserable light to weaken him. He licked his lips in a slow way. "Suffering much are we? Perchance, you are not becoming a demon zombie are you?"

The spirit recognized Yata's voice, but this time he could not retort a reply. So weak was he that even trying to move his lips was difficult. His body continued to shake as his tormented thoughts begged for Yata to leave him. But Yata did not.

"I know your son and his friends are on their way here," the little demon spoke. He grinned. Even though the spirit was too weakened to respond physically, Yata knew he was shocked, and yet relieved at the same time. He snorted. "I wouldn't go on hoping. The other demons will destroy them. You know how strong they are."

The spirit did not want to believe that. Tears fell down his yellow colored face. He inwardly winced. The tears; they were burning him. This couldn't be happening to him!

"Oh, yes," Yata sneered as he noticed, "you will soon transform. When you do, you will be _my _slave!"

Those words sent feelings of horror running through the very being of the spirit's heart.

"Rowen, how much farther is it?" Ryo asked as he looked at the Ronin of Strata. They had been walking through the cave for what seemed like an hour, and Ryo could not see any signs of the cave coming to an end. The cave had been mostly empty, but at times they ran the risk of booby traps and lurking demons, in which they had so far managed to escape. There had even been an acid pond made to look like a regular pond, but Cye had known right away just how dangerous it was.

Rowen frowned as he looked at his friend. "Honestly, Ryo, I'm not sure. I don't remember being in this cave."

"Well, that's just terrific!" Kento said with a snort. "Why don't we just holler for Rowen's dad, instead of wandering around aimlessly for?"

"Have you lost your mind, Kento?" Sage asked as he looked toward the Ronin of Hardrock in disbelief.

"What do you mean?" Kento asked.

"If we holler for Rowen's dad, the demons will be upon us, and right now we can't take that risk." Sage moved ahead of Kento and walked beside Rowen. Though he did not blame Kento for wanting to get this done and over with. Still, unnecessary risks needed to be avoided.

Firestorm was silent as she followed the others. What if Kento was right? What if they were going to be late by simply taking their good old time to get to Rowen's dad? What if it was already too late? She doubted if the spirit could be turned back to his normal self.

They continued walking through the cave as everyone fell silent. Shadows loomed on the walls, but what they didn't know was that these shadows were not their own. These shadows were sinister, belonging to a force mankind could not reckon with.

Sage suddenly froze in mid step as his eyes narrowed. He glanced around uneasily as he could feel the evil descending upon them. Something was here, and it was far worse than the little demons they had encountered earlier.

"Sage, what's wrong?" Ryo inquired when he noticed Sage's behavior.

"Something evil," Sage began to warn, but it was too late.

A powerful force struck fast and hard. Kento was the first to go flying back. He screamed in pain as something struck him. He felt it through his armor and he frowned in confusion. How did that happen? He was underground; it should have protected him.

"Kento!" Ryo cried out, then growled dangerously. He looked around. "Show yourself!" he demanded angrily.

Cye ran over to Kento to check on him. He knelt down beside his friend and frowned. "Kento?"

"Man, that was a blow and a half," Kento muttered as he placed one hand to his chest.

"Why not?" a dangerous voice said in response to Ryo's demand. A demonic figure appeared within their sight. It was unlike any they had ever seen within this demonic world. The demon stood about six feet tall. His hair was black and the length of it was long. His yellow eyes were sharp. Judging from his confident expression it was clear this was a demonic warrior.

"So here I am," he stated as if he were talking to old friends. His eyes gleamed dangerously. "Too bad for you, you won't see my face long."

"That's right," Firestorm snarled. "Because we'll be the ones to beat you into tiny pieces!"

The demon scoffed. Then suddenly he was gone. The Ronins were shocked as they could not see him anywhere, but then a cry of pain came from Firestorm's lips as she was struck hard against her side.

"Firestorm!" Star cried in horror as she watched her friend spin into the air.

"I've got her!" Ryo shouted as he leapt after the girl. He caught her safely and landed on the ground. His eyes narrowed. The demon was fast; perhaps too fast. They had to find a way to stop him.

Ryo grabbed his katanas and leapt into the air to directly attack the demon. However when his swords hit their target it was like trying to cut through granite with a knife. He was shocked and knew this meant trouble.

The demon half turned and backhanded Ryo so hard it sent the Ronin of Wildfire over everyone's heads at several feet. He landed hard on his side.

"Ryo!" Sage cried out in desperation. He narrowed his eyes and turned his attention toward the demon. "How dare you!"

The demon chuckled as if amused. "What's the matter? Am I too strong for you? Maybe I'll try one hand rather than two. Oh, wait. I was using only one hand." He guffawed.

It was a bad time. The Ronins were up against a difficult foe, in which they could not figure out a weakness. They had to. Otherwise they would die before Rowen's dad could even be saved.

But something disturbed Cye. Leokoni was stronger than this demon, and yet Rowen had defeated him with a single arrow. Could Rowen defeat this demon?

Cye's eye caught something then. He felt a familiar sensation and turned his head slightly to look. His eyes widened. There was Dayu Bunjiro. He gasped a little. Around him, his friends were attempting to battle the demon, but to no avail could they succeed in making even one scratch.

Dayu did not speak. Instead, the ancient spirit simply lifted one leg into the air and touched the back of his knee. He pointed to Kento, then to the demon. And Cye knew.

He turned toward Kento, and spoke through their telepathic link. "_Kento, strike the demon at the back of his knees!"_

Kento looked toward Cye and wondered why. But seeing the desperate look in his friend's eyes, he did not question him. The Ronin of Hardrock leapt into the air and flipped over the demon, landing behind him. He took his nanginta and slammed it against the mark Cye had told him.

The demon let out a fierce howl of pain as he was brought to his knees. This caught everyone's attention.

Understanding what had just happened, they mentally decided to attack as one force. Ryo leapt to his feet and held his katanas in the air. Sage gripped his nodatchi. Rowen readied his bow with an arrow. Cye held his yari in position. Kento gripped his nanginta once more. Star held her bo close to her. Firestorm grabbed her sword.

The demon was starting to get up, but it was too late. The Ronins and the two new Ronins suddenly attacked him with every force they could muster. Their weapons dealt harsh blows against him as they attacked as a single unit.

The demon hollered in pain and struggled against them. He cursed and spewed obscenities in hopes that his rage would frighten them off. But it did not. They continued to attack as if they were killer bees.

He was getting weaker, but he refused to give up the fight. He managed to throw Cye off. But more attacks came at him from all sides.

Finally, Rowen had enough. He took one last arrow and fired it directly into the heart of the demon. He watched the demon as it coughed up blood. Then with a last hissing sigh, the demonic warrior fell upon his back and lied still.

The Ronins stared at the demon in silence as if in shock. Kento approached the body, and lightly gave it a kick. No response. He turned to the others. "Dead," he confirmed.

Ryo nodded his head. "Good. Now we can move on."

"One thing bothers me though," Star said. "Kento, how did you know to attack the back of the knees?"

"Cye told me to," Kento answered as he looked toward Cye.

Now everyone looked at Cye. What could he say to them? Would they think he was crazy? No. They wouldn't. And so he told them the truth. "I saw Rowen's ancestor," he told them. "He told me through body language how to attack the demon."

"That was a good thing," Sage said. "We might have had to use our surekills."

"Well, one thing's for sure. My ancestor certainly knew his battles with the demons. If it wasn't for his help, we wouldn't have made it this far."

"Your ancestor was one cool dude, Rowen," Kento said with a grin.

"Okay, guys. We need to get going," Sage said as his face suddenly took on a pained look. "I can sense Rowen's dad in deep despair and agony."

Upon hearing this, they began to run through the cave, being mindful of traps and other demonic warriors. At long last they exited the cave and soon found themselves in a semi dark, bare room with one door.

Getting a familiar feeling, Rowen approached the door and touched the knob. It melted in his hand and the door opened, allowing them to see inside the room. There in that room was Yata, the same demon who had captured Rowen, and Rowen's father.

Yata could not believe his eyes. How had they managed to get through, and so quickly? He hissed as he turned around fully to face them. "You may gotten past the others, but you won't get pass me," he promised with a growl as his claws were stretched out.

They stared at him in silence. Sage sighed and rolled his eyes before closing them. Instantaneously, his body began to glow and his kanji shone. '_Wisdom_!' he inwardly cried out.

The others watched Yata. He looked fearful now. He was shaking and backing away as his eyes widened at Sage. Gasping sounds came from the back of his throat.

Sage snapped his eyes opened, revealing the color of ice blue rather than violet. Light shot out from him like a beam from a ray gun. The light struck Yata, enveloping him in a ball of hot light. Yata screamed.

The others shielded their eyes against the brightness of the light, but they did not need to see what was happening. For they already knew.

Inside the ball of light, Yata was being torn piece by piece. He tried to escape, but the light was so bright, and so hot. It stung as bad as holy light. But what if it was holy light? What if this blond warrior was an angel in disguise? No. He could not be. The boy was mortal, capable of dying. And yet, Yata could not defeat him. Curse the Halo Armor!

The light suddenly exploded outward, and Yata was suddenly ripped into several pieces. His remains floated to the ground as the blood was zapped by the shards of light.

"Gross," Ryo said after a minute.

"No kidding," Firestorm muttered.

"Sage, buddy," Rowen said with a smile, "you did good."

Sage smiled, but then turned his attention toward the spirit hanging limply in the air by chains. They followed his look and gasped. The spirit of Mr. Hashiba looked far worse than what Rowen remembered. The Ronin of Strata swallowed bile and wiped his eyes. He could not believe what Leokoni had managed to do. Even though the demon master was dead, Rowen would never forgive him.

"Guys?" Kento stated quietly as he stared at the spirit.

Ryo nodded his head. He leapt forward and sliced through the chains and caught the spirit in his arms. He landed on the ground and gently laid him down. The spirit gagged.

Sage, knowing what he had to do, approached. Ryo backed off to give him room and stood alongside the others as they watched their friend. And once again, Sage began to glow. But this time it was a different glow. The glow surrounded the spirit, cleansing him, washing through him, casting away darkness.

Rowen knew Sage's power, but he was still in disbelief. The monstrosity that had been in chains was becoming the same man he knew before. Only this time, the face was at peace. He felt an arm around his shoulders and looked to his right. Cye smiled at him, and he returned the favor. Together they continued to watch and wait.

Sage poured in the last of his healing light into the spirit before the light from his body faded. He dropped back to the floor, looking weary.

"Sage!" Ryo cried.

"I'm… okay," Sage replied. It was clear he was exhausted.

"You look beat!" Firestorm said. "How can you say you're okay?"

Sage looked up at her and managed a tiny smirk, but he chose not to speak. She'd learn one day.

There was a groan which caught their attention. They looked toward the source. The spirit was sitting up, slowly looking around. No longer was his color a sick yellow, and no longer did he appear weak. Sage had done it.

The spirit finally focused his attention to Rowen and his eyes widened. "Ro.. Rowen?"

Rowen swallowed nervously, but did not move. He knew his father was not the same when he was alive, but the memories of the pain were still strong. But something was nagging at him. He felt he absolutely had to go to his father to speak with him. No matter how hard he tried to resist, the pull was far too strong. He began to approach the spirit.

Ryo saw this and understood immediately. He did not know how, nor did he understand why. He just knew Rowen and his dad needed their space. He helped Sage up, and together they rejoined the others, at a safe distance from Rowen and the spirit. They remained in the room, but allowed son and father to reconcile with one another. Only one thing between them remained: Forgiveness.

A/N: I know that it's been a while since my last update. Life in general gets in the way. I couldn't decide how I wanted to do this chapter, so it took many months of trying to figure out a solution. This past week I've working on it. This chapter is by far the longest out of all the chapters of TA, but I feel it is necessary. Why? Because this is the final chapter. Only one thing remains which is the epilogue. I apologize in advance for any scenes that may have seemed a bit fast or too slow. I also apologize if anything seems out of order, or is confusing.

I hope, in a sense, this will bring some relief to those who've waited so patiently (or impatiently) for this chapter. That was another reason I've made this chapter longer than intended. I do not know when the epilogue will be completed, but it will happen. In the meantime, I hope you've enjoyed this. PM me for any questions.

Firestorm


	35. Epilogue

The Arising

Epilogue.

The chirping of the birds broke through the early morning silence just before dawn. The dark haired figure stood on the back porch looking across the property. In the pre-dawn it was still dark. Shadows were cast forth, given birth by objects and a source of light. A light breeze riffled through the air, blowing his long black locks to the side as tiger blue eyes remained focused, set forward in an endless motion of calming dignity.

They had nearly lost their lives. Every single one of them. Leokoni had been a terrible foe, difficult to beat. So cruel and vicious, yet manipulative. How could this centuries old demon manage to extract revenge on Rowens ancestor by using Rowens father? They had been so blind. Why hadnt they seen it? Even Sage had not sensed the demon through Mr. Hashiba, for Leokoni had hidden himself quite well.

But, like Talpa before him, he had failed. The Ronin Warriors had bonded deeply together, uniting their minds and spirits once more to launch a full frontal assault. It had been a prestigious trial, and their own afflictions threatened to burst several times. For Sage, he did not doubt that it had been very difficult for him to use the healing power of his armor. But he had, setting the spirit of Mr. Hashiba free.

Leokoni had failed, and the Ronins had won. So then why did it feel so differently? Why could they still feel the burning rage, the impertinent blame, the shallowness that had become a part of their very spirits?

Even after they had witnessed the forgiveness of Mr. Hashibas by Rowen, some rivalry had remained. Kento had grilled in on Rowen, demanding an explanation as to why Rowen should forgive his abusive father. That had lead to Firestorm yelling at Kento for being so insensitive, before a full argument had erupted in the deep underground caverns where Leokoni had abode.

It had been deflecting and tiresome.

Rowen had stood there quietly with no emotion other than pure sadness and pity illuminating his very eyes. Without a word he had turned and silently walked away with Sage by his side.

He momentarily came back to the present, watching as sky lightened with an array of colors from pink and purple to cyan. Such a beautiful sight to behold. It was mornings like this that he loved to wake up in order to watch the sun rise. The rays of the sun enshrouded him with its vibrant warm rays and he closed his eyes, tilting his face toward it. He sighed in bliss, relaxing in the sweet splendor of natures light.

For a while he enjoyed himself, stretching his arms and his back with a smile on his face. Today was a promising day. And he could hardly wait to get started. Perhaps he would play some soccer, or go swimming. Maybe hed get those cooking lessons from Cye. With so many activities to choose from it was difficult to decide where to begin with what.

But then, his mind was taken back once again to the dreaded events he wished were only nightmares. Were he and Rowen really beasts of terror, forced to be strange wild animals in order to take out their very own friends? Had Leokoni planned to make them into his pets? He shuddered. It was presumptuous to even think that he and Rowen would be so willing to accept the chains of enslavement.

Cye had not been too happy with Kento, but mostly kept his comments to himself. Firestorm and Star though had both scolded Kento for being so insensitive to Rowens feelings, and particularly toward Sages healing of Rowens father. It had been wrong, uncalled for, and deeply degrading.

Kento had expressed his boisterous opinions, still in the firm belief that he was right. For justice was not only his virtue, but his pride.

The memory of the events continued. Cye had briefly stayed behind to speak with Kento, but spoke in such a low tone that only Kento could hear him.

The more Cye had spoke, the more dumbfounded Kento had begun to look. When Cye had finished, he had walked away following after Rowen, Sage, Star, and Firestorm.

Kento had not moved though, and it had been very clear that what Cye had said had troubled him deeply. It was a questioning wonder of what Cye might have said to Kento. But Kento hadn't turned around, nor communicated a word. It was as if he were transfixed and unable to move.

Then Ryo had moved forward, clasping Kento's shoulder with his hand. Kento turned to look back at him and with a small smile, Ryo said, "Come on, Kento. Let's go home."

Kento had returned the smile with troubled eyes and the two Ronins hot tailed after the others.

Ryo briefly closed his eyes before reopening them to view the scenery once more. So calm, so beautiful. It was certain to be a warm spring day.

The door suddenly pulled opened and he turned his head to see Kento coming out. "Morning, Kento."

"Morning Ryo." Kento came to stand beside him and looked out over the horizen. His eyes caught sight of a rabbit nibbling on grass and for a moment he watched it. His eyes then shifted to the sky as a reflected look came over his face.

Ryo leaned forward a bit, resting his arms on the banister surrounding the porch. Silence loomed between them.

The birds chirping brought a strange sense of melodic harmony to the two, bringing peace to their souls. Then at last Kento spoke. "I never realized that what I say isn't what bothers people the most."

Ryo looked at him, waiting.

Kento gave a weak smile before it faded. "It's not what I say," he repeated softly, "but rather how I say it." He lowered his head. "I never realized how much pain I cause people by opening my big mouth. It's just my sense of justice hates seeing people wronged. Forgiveness isn't my concept of understanding."

Ryo was surprised. To hear Kento speak in such a deep and reflective way. Sometimes it was surprising. He waited to see if Kento was finished with what he had to say. He wasn't. "What Cye said to me back there made me realize this. It's kind of a shame, you know. I should know how to treat others even when I am adamant about the justice I feel people deserve. I'm such a fool." He let out a deep sigh and grew quiet.

"You're no fool, Kento," Ryo said. "Sometimes, we say things we regret. But that doesn't mean we should let them hold us back. We have to be willing to pick ourselves up and move forward. Time is constantly moving forward. It never goes backward even when we want it to. So, if time doesn't go backward, then we shouldn't either. We must move forward, taking what mistakes we learned in the past to make lessons for the future."

There was another moment of silence between them and Ryo's words hit Kento deep within his soul. He finally smiled and nodded. "You're right, Ryo. I shouldn't beat myself up so much. I do owe Rowen and Sage an apology though. But I will wait until they are ready to hear it."

Ryo nodded and smiled. Kento, I think that is the wisest thing you can do. You certainly have come a long way. We all have.

That we have, Kento agreed.

And together as the rest of the household slept Ryo and Kento continued to watch the blue sky as a flock of robins flew overheard, their chirping echoing through the air.

A/N: After so many years and a long wait, The Arising is finally complete.. Okay.. Okay no fainting please. I know its been a very long time. You may be wondering why I left it here without putting the other Ronins, particularly Rowen in at the end. One simple reason is to keep you wondering. Also, another reason is because Im thinking of another sequel to this fanfic here. Time will tell though. Im out for now. Later!


End file.
